


Hours

by SlicingGingers



Category: House MD
Genre: Abuse, Depression, Drug Use, Self Harm, Sexual Content, Sexual Harassment, Torment, Torture, Violence, suicidal behavior
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-09-13
Packaged: 2018-08-10 03:32:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 118,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7828858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlicingGingers/pseuds/SlicingGingers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: A split of the timeline from season 4 of house into an entirely new season. Introducing a new character head of the psych department. She's there to babysit House and as imagined no one likes it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very weird story, I was not a fan of how House ended and I wasn't a fan of Thirteen (In fact I think she was utterly pointless and they never should have gotten rid of Amber). However the OC introduction is meant to be paired with Wilson. Though I like Amber I didn't think she was a great match for him. This is a House/Cuddy story nonetheless. It was written a while ago so try to bare with me as I attempt to finish it eventually.

"Who the hell is Leila Dawson?" House yelled, completely enraged at the fact that there was now a psychiatrist there to check in on him. Apparently, Cuddy didn't want to do it herself any more so she outsourced it to the head of the psych department which he didn't really even recall meeting until that point, as she was standing right there as he lost his mind over this.

"That is." Cuddy said, motioning to Leila, "And she's been working here for over a year now. It's not my fault you don't pay any attention to the psych department." She barely looked up from her work to answer him, which just made him more angry and she knew that it would. Leila just stood there silently watching the dynamic between the two of them. She had spent far more time talking to Cuddy about things. She heard stories about House, and observed him the few times that she had seen him get obnoxious in the cafeteria but really her department had very little to do with his and their paths barely crossed. She was liking that until Cuddy decided it was her job to make sure he remained mentally stable.

"You told me to hire a new team, I am hiring a new team. It's not insane, I'm not....crazy..." He said and as he did he turned and wiggled his fingers at Leila in an overly exaggerated gesture like a villain in an old time movie would. He really hated the fact that even with the little time he spent with her already she didn't seem to be easily rattled, of course now it was his new goal to find her hot button and push it as many times as possible. He would get her to quit and then Cuddy would realize what a bad idea it had been to bring her in. It would be easy, two weeks tops.

"The term crazy isn't used any more." Leila said, finally speaking up. Her voice was firm, strong, she wasn't a weakling nor was she afraid of him, however she also knew when was a good time to talk and when wasn't. The better thing to do here was observe how they interacted so she could get a better idea on how to handle him. Now was not the time to be talking. House narrowed his gaze at her and took a step in her direction. She was almost his height in heels but probably weighed half what he did. However this was not intimidating to her. If he was actually going to fly off the handle and beat someone to death with his cane he would have done it already.

"I'm sorry did you say something? You've made absolutely no impression on me whatsoever, and I don't expect you to." He told her and turned back to Cuddy, "Fine, if you insist on having Malibu psychiatrist Barbie watch my every move then I guess I have no choice but I am not going to make it easy on her, or you." House threatened.

"I trust it won't be an issue for her. Are we done here?" Cuddy asked, she still wasn't looking up. Even if Leila hadn't already known about how Cuddy felt for him, not that she out right said it but from the stories she heard and the way Cuddy talked when he wasn't around it was not too much of a secret, their body language and tones of voices in that very moment was akin to flirting. Two dominant forces that wouldn't yield just enough to admit they were both madly in love. It was incredible to observe, she liked it. She didn't exactly like what House had called her, though she didn't hate it either.

Though she tried very hard to cover the fact that she happened to be born with a nice body, she was aware that it was nice. Even with as conservatively as she dressed unless she wore a burlap sack someone would notice, especially someone like him who made more eye contact with chests than actual eyes. He gave her another glad as he head out of the office.

"You're sure about this?" She asked Cuddy slowly.

"His bark is bigger than his bite. You are just as equipped as anyone of us to deal with him, maybe more because you are from psych and you have very little background on how he can be other than what you've only observed. You are adept at removing your personal feelings from situations and being a critical and logical judge. Trust me, you can do it." Cuddy said, looking up to make eye contact with her.

Leila was young, she had amazing references however she seemed kind of sad. Cuddy never saw her eating with any other doctors, or on the phone with anyone that seemed like a friend. She was always either reading a new psych journal or working on a paper. She barely talked to anyone about anything, it seemed that no one at work knew a damn thing about her other than her academic achievements and the fact that she was incredibly knowledgeable about her field. People talked about her like she was mystery, though Cuddy saw a bit of herself in Leila. Only because it seemed the girl was busting her ass to prove that she wasn't just a pretty and body and face, something Cuddy had felt she needed to do herself most of the time, especially because of House.

"Alright well I'll try to do what you are asking. If it gets to be too much you realize I don't have to continue. He's incredibly interesting though, his brain is like some weird mess of sadness and genius. You can almost see the wheels turning in there." She replied, and she still had yet to see one of his moments of clarity where he figured out a case. Cuddy had seen it as well as most of his team, but she really had no reason to be around for one of them. Cuddy laughed a bit, she hoped maybe Leila would get to see when that happened, as no one could ever exactly explained how he connected things or what triggered it, just that it happened.

"Yeah well he's also an ass. The best doctor here, but an ass. I just want you to make sure he doesn't do anything overly crazy." Cuddy said, "Look in on that contest he's having every so often, you don't even have to let him know you are there. Though he already found out so he'll be looking for you now. He's going to try to get under your skin and find the thing about you that makes you feel most weak and powerless and he will figure it out. Do not give him the satisfaction of a break down." She warned. Leila nodded slightly, she figured her one weak spot was hard enough to find that if she kept far enough back and just studied him like he was in a clinical setting it shouldn't be an issue. She had yet to realize he was studying her just as hard.

* * *

¬†"Dawson, you ever heard of her?" House started talking the moment he opened the door to Wilson's office, causing him to look up. He hated how half the time House came in there like he was already having a conversation with him and he was completely filled in on the wild ramblings.

"The head of psych?" He replied, looking up from his work. He wasn't going to get anything done now anyway, at least not until House left, so it was kind of pointless to pretend like he was working when House was very aware that it was just that.

"How does everyone know her but me?" House demanded and then limped over to the couch and sat down on it. Immediately he put his leg up on the coffee table and started to absently rub at his thigh. How could Leila have possibly been there for over a year? This made no sense.

"You've met her before. At hospital functions, though after a few vicodin and an open bar who really knows what you remember. I have work." Wilson tried to fight him off, but that excuse never flew with House. In fact it just seemed to make House want to stay longer and he didn't know why he was still saying that every time the guy came in.

"Really? I think I'd remember her." House said and then relaxed, tilting his head back and letting out a loud sigh, "Must be pretty boring if she hasn't really made a blip on my radar, even with a body like that."

"Body like what? She's in good shape I guess." Wilson lied badly, he thought she was very pretty, kind of bookish and kept her hair up in this tight librarian type bun that was very severe and made her look far older than she probably was but her eyes were what captured him the most. However saying anything close to that would have given House a reason to try to either set them up or ruin them in a heartbeat. Luckily he seemed to miss the comment at that point because he was too busy with his own agenda.

"If that shape is hour-glass." He rolled his eyes, "Figures Cuddy would hire a female as head of psych, she would know all about emotional shit."

"The last head was a man, he retired." Wilson said, "Look, just because you don't pay attention to a certain area of the hospital doesn't mean it doesn't matter, or exist." He was getting annoyed, he didn't need to hear House complain about someone who was probably going make very little impact on his life anyway.

"Psychiatry, as much as it can be respected is still a crap shoot when it comes to diagnosis. There's really not set treatment for any one illness and it can vary from patient to patient and it's just...well it's more voodoo than science." House snapped, looking over at him.

"Maybe to you, but she knows her stuff. Read one of her articles." Wilson said, "I've recommended some of my terminal patients to her, they always have good things to say." He shrugged and then stood up. At very least he could always move quite a bit faster than House and get somewhere else before he could be caught up to, however that usually ended badly. This time he was going to take the risk. He had already had to tell a ten year old kid today that he was most likely going to die, pancreatic cancer, and he just didn't want to deal with House. His problems seemed so trivial to that of the little boy's and it was just stupid.

"Where are you going?" House more demanded than asked, like a small child who needed to be paid attention to. When he had the tiniest issue it was so incredibly important yet someone around there whined about so much as a paper cut and they were being a baby. The boy hadn't even cried he just seemed to kind of know, and had accepted it, yet House couldn't be nearly as stoic. He just had to complain and pick over every little detail of his life he thought was unfair. A ten year old had more maturity than him, and that was making him very annoyed in that moment.

"Away from you." Wilson said, "I would love to hear about how much of a problem Doctor Dawson is going to be, but maybe you can call my voicemail and I'll listen to it later." He grabbed his jacket and left quickly, without looking back. It seemed that House's leg was causing him more pain than usual that day, with the way he was rubbing it, which made him realize that it was a better possibility of him getting somewhere without House finding him for a while, even though he actually had no where to go.

* * *

Leila was headed towards the cafeteria to grab a quick lunch. In her arm she cradled the leather case which held her iPad. She had recently put some books on there that she was reading when she ate. People tended not to bother a person who looked like they were studying something, especially in a hospital cafeteria and she never really wanted to be bothered. There wasn't time for fleeting, trivial nonsense, at least not for her.

She grabbed an already made sandwich and then a can of coke and paid. When she turned she saw Wilson in a back corner, she might not have even noticed it was him if he hadn't been turning around every two seconds to check the entrance like he was avoiding someone and she was betting that someone was House. He was the guy she was going to need to talk to first. They were clearly more than just friends, not that she thought they were fucking like everyone said, especially the nurses, but it was far more than a friendship at least from what she had heard.

She took a seat in the chair right behind his and opened up her iPad. It had a stand so she could easily read her iBooks without having to constantly bend her neck to look down. It was a tempting idea to just go over and talk to him, however, there was a chance House could walk in and see her conversing with him at his table as if they were old friends, and since she needed information she couldn't have House thinking he was working for the person he now thought was his enemy or something close to that. Either way she knew she was now on his list of people who were a problem in his life.

"You know, looking around like that would make you easier to spot if he were to come in here." She said, keeping her voice low and her eyes on the screen as if she was actually reading. She wasn't, but she did a pretty good job of pretending. When she wanted information she got it, and there was noting going to stop her. She was basically addicted to information on human behavior and House was one of the most interesting human beings she had ever come across.

"Are you talking to me?" Wilson asked stupidly, immediately turning to look at her.

"Don't turn to look at me, keep hunched over, read your magazine and have a conversation, is it really that hard?" She asked him, she didn't mean to come off that assertive but he wasn't exactly fitting in with what she wanted him to do and so she had to be firm. He seemed like the kind of jumpy guy who would easily follow directions if she spoke like that though, and she was right because he instantly did what she said.

"How'd you know I turned around?" He asked, she hadn't even flinched or looked back at him. Maybe she was just that good at predicting human behavior.

"I you want the vague, mysterious answer so you can misinterpret it as flirting or the more obvious answer of I saw your reflection in my iPad?" She replied, and she had to smirk a bit. He was so jumpy and submissive and sweet. The patients that were referred to her by him always spoke very highly of James Wilson and at least now she had a reason to talk to the man she thought was the best looking guy there. Okay that was a lie, that Robert Chase was one hell of a good looker but more, pretty than handsome and he was a womanizer, at least from what the nurses said. She wasn't going to play around with a man who was going to behave like that, a man who spent more time looking in the mirror in the morning than she did.

Wilson felt his face get hot, he had no idea why he liked the way she was talking to him but his brain already was telling him she was flirting. Then again most any girl he thought pretty who talked to him first he thought was flirting, he fell for women way too fast and he needed to stop doing that.

"What exactly do you want?" He asked and tried hard to look like he was reading his magazine and stay hunched over to make himself less apparent to House should the guy come stomping in there like a dog in heat looking to verbally dominate him.

"Just information, also I'm facing the door if he comes in here I'll let you know so you can get a head start." She said and unwrapped her sandwich still making it look like she was heavily engrossed in her book. Real life data collection was far more fun than something written and collected by someone who wasn't her, no matter how brilliant the writer was. "What do I need to look out for when it comes to him? What's his modus operandi?"

"Did we just slip into a crime drama? Should I be wearing a fedora or something?" He replied back, it was a bad joke and he almost winced. Until he heard her giggle and then stifle it with a snort. Maybe her choice of phrase there wasn't the best, though his response was cute and rather geeky, she liked that it was like something she'd say.

"I'm serious James. Doctor Cuddy said he was going to try to find my weakness and use it against me. Is there a specific way he does this? Or is he just that good at observing things?" She asked and opened her coke as she swiped the screen to flip to the next page. She had to make it actually seem like she was reading and not just stare vacantly at the screen like she was sure he was doing with his magazine.

"He's really just that good. If you want any chance at him not discovering it at all, you'd basically have to never talk to him, or talk in front of him, or stand anywhere he might be within earshot. That includes bathrooms, outside, or even around corners. If he wants to figure it out, he's going to do it." Wilson said, it was the truth. Though just with the way she talked, he wanted to know more about her, well it was more the giggle she had made at his really bad joke.

"You know you could help me with that? Set up some secret signal. Not that I'd ask you to watch me all the time, however if you think I should shut up or see him coming when I don't you could do something to warn me." She told him and then took a bite of her sandwich, "Not that you really owe a damn thing to me, I just kind of was randomly shoved into this situation. I would have already said no to Doctor Cuddy but then I actually saw the two of them argue and now I just can't walk away."

"I don't see why I wouldn't help you. I mean, you seem nice enough, and this is protection from House we are talking about. What kind of bastard would I be if I didn't say yes?" He asked her and then flipped the page of the magazine in front of him. He wasn't exactly reading it, but thought maybe it would actually look like he was if he turned a page from time to time.

"Any idea on how you want to do this? Something that he's not going to catch onto, so it either has to be very subtle or different each time." She said, she knew House was very smart and would be picking up on patterns, body language, really anything he could to catch her or at least corner Wilson into talking. If he was this jumpy just not wanting House to find him, clearly he was easily badgered into spilling information.

"Not a clue. I suppose we could do bird calls. Not that I know any." He smiled a bit, "Also that's something he'd pick up on very fast. Probably start teasing me about mating calls or something." He shook his head slightly as he laughed a bit.

"Yeah bird calls are too obvious, though, it could be bird related. Just, say the name of a bird, each time a different one, a name that would not at all be in place for whatever is going on, but for the love of God James don't just randomly shout the word 'ostrich' down the hall and nothing else." She started to laugh again, because she was guessing he was the kind of guy who would panic and do something exactly like that and though it was funny now, and would be funny after the fact, in the moment it would piss her off and she knew it.

"Alright I guess we could try that. Now I need information." He said back to her. She arched an eyebrow before realizing she was and then forced it back down, she guessed to any onlooker it would seem like she had just read something interesting. She swiped the screen on the iPad to go to the next page. She hadn't read a single word from there but it was more important to be talking to him at this point. Also, he wasn't horribly boring, far more interesting as a person than a man she mostly talked to on the phone when she was getting referrals, and different than who she thought he'd actually be.

"I guess I can't deny you that, turn about is fair play right?" She replied, she was a bit nervous though. What was he going to ask her? She prayed it was something with an answer that could be set in black and white, she was horrible with anything personal, and it scared her to think this might be some sort of pick up line coming next. They barely interacted with each other, and it wasn't that she didn't like him, quite the opposite, but she could be very awkward on dates. The best relationships she had ever had were with the people she was already friends with first, because they already knew about her ineptitude when it came to being social, he didn't. She assumed he would be mistaking her confidence as a psychiatrist as her confidence for who she actually was and that was an entirely separate person.

"Why are you so interested? You don't like him or something, do you?" He asked her, unaware that she could very easily read the jealousy in his voice and he was giving himself away in that very moment. To him it sounded more of a 'why the hell would anyone want to know how House thinks' sort of tone, to her all she could hear was insecurity and jealousy that House was going to get another girl while he walked away with nothing.

The truth was, as much as he interested her mentally, because he was a puzzle, everything else about him disgusted her at that point. Not physically, he was an attractive man, and you could see forever in those blue eyes. However the immaturity, the ego, the dominance, the whining, the smart ass mouth, all of that easily cancelled out any part of his brain being a puzzle she could possibly ever find attractive.

"Not in the slightest, he's a jerk. Besides I think it would be pointless anyway as one day either him or Cuddy is going to break and admit they want to fuck each other's brains out." She said with a smile. She clearly saw it, and it was a pity when two people who had that much chemistry were both so very dominant with each other because it seemed to have gotten to a point between them where one would rather die before admitting to the other how they felt only because they both seemed to have this great need to be in charge of everything.

Wilson nearly spit out his drink when he heard her say that. He was trying to remain casual and he thought taking a sip of coffee would accomplish that. He never expected her to come back with such a retort, or ever be so very happy that there was not yet another pretty girl for House to have for the one night of fucking and then the awkward days that would pass until eventually she would find the need to get the hell out of there.

"Good to know." He finally managed to say. She certainly was more interesting like this than she was over quick minute conversations here and there on the phone. He really didn't want this conversation to stop, yet he didn't want the main focus of it to be about House, his life was not all about House, he was a different person. He insecurely started to hope she was very aware of this. Though what could he say to her to keep this going? It would have to be something that would catch her attention yet not sound too stupid and desperate that she would know he was coming onto her. He was getting flustered though, every second that passed he felt she was just going to think he was a loser if he didn't make some kind of move.

"You like video games?" She asked first. He looked up at that comment, almost immediately. It wasn't that he absolutely loved them, nor did he hate them. They were fun to play with House though, friendly competition when they were just hanging out and drinking or something. Why did she ask that though? Did she want to talk to him as much as he wanted to talk to her?

"Depends what kind." He told her honestly, "I wouldn't play them myself but, I dunno with a friend they can be fun." He shrugged a bit. She was still watching his reflection in her iPad. It was fun to monitor his posture and behavior as he talked to her while pretending not to talk to her.

"A few months ago I pre-ordered one of those first person shooter games that looked interesting, it has a multi-player option. It arrived yesterday but I haven't gotten a chance to play it. If you aren't busy tonight maybe you'd want to check it out with me. It would be the best way to exchange information without having to be overly worried about House catching us." She smiled, she really wasn't thinking of it as a date. She knew she'd enjoy his company, there was no doubt about that, but she was far more interested in observing him and using that as a pretext would get her better insight into him and into House. Besides most men liked video games, it wasn't some sort of shot in the dark that he would say yes to that.

"Sounds like fun." He smiled, so she wanted to see him outside of work? At her place? The smiled drained away when he realized how nervous he suddenly got. Oh God this was, he was going to make a fool out of himself, say something stupid, why did he just agree to this? No, he was going to go, it was a friday night and it was either this or go get drunk with House. He had no idea how he was going to explain his absence to House but, wait, he had stormed out on the guy and had obviously been avoiding him all day. He would just keep doing that under the guise that he was angry when really, the best thing he could have done was get annoyed with the man. Had he not he wouldn't have ended up here with a chance to get to know Leila better.

"Okay, well House just stepped into the cafeteria so get up and move. Call my work cell later, I'll let you know how to get to my place." She told him. "Be slow, casual, don't run, don't make a scene keep your head down and walk out the back." She took another bite of her sandwich and saw him stand in the screen reflection.

"Thanks." He said and then hurried off, but not in an overly obvious and panicked manner either. Just a basic shuffle of a man who was in a hurry but not in a panic. Leila was happy that she was going to get to know more about this in a more relaxed atmosphere. If she gave him a couple of drinks, relaxed him by letting him take his aggressions out on a video game, and got him to drop his guard, there would be a wealth of information in this tactic. She had yet to realize the charms of James Wilson


	2. Chapter 2

Wilson looked at his phone and then back to the building Leila said she lived in. It was the right address but how did she afford this place? Even with being head of the psych department she couldn't afford a place like this. Maybe she was from money? That could be it. He sighed, well at least if she was she didn't act like it and that was the best he could hope for. He entered and looked at the list of names to find her apartment. L.Dawson, penthouse. He blinked a few times. A penthouse? In this place? She was loaded. How did he not know this before? She didn't even dress like she had money. Maybe she was renting a room, that made the most sense to him because he couldn't bring himself to believe he had lucked out and found a girl who had money like this.  
  
He took the elevator up to the top floor, the doors opened and he was almost immediately met with another set of them. He looked at the door bell and pressed it after a moment of wondering if he should leave. He was going to make an ass out of himself. Inside he heard a dog start barking and then an angry yell in a different language, one that he couldn't even begin to guess what it was. He sighed, it was probably the house keeper or something. Leila opened the door. She was just in sweat pants and a tank top, her hair up in a towel. He smiled at the thought that he might get to see it down for the first time, it excited him for some reason. She had never, ever looked this casual before and it made her so much more youthful and cute. He liked that.  
  
"Come in, I locked Sawyer in the bedroom. He's really friendly just really big so I prefer not to scare people with him when they first come in." She laughed a bit and moved away from the door so he could come inside. The place was elegant, and the way she was talking, the whole place was hers. She wasn't subletting, that was for sure. He could tell almost immediately by the medical and psychology text books laying around everywhere, all of them with book marks in them or left open. There was a large flat screen on the wall across from a white leather sectional. Between that and the TV was a black coffee table.  
  
Against the back wall there was a glass fireplace and near that was a full service bar. On the opposite side there were floor to ceiling windows and the place was decorated with all sorts of Asian art, modern and classic. It was organized chaos, that was the best way to describe it. It seemed like maybe someone else had set it up and then she came in and threw her stuff around in it.  
  
"Sawyer?" Wilson asked slowly, "What kind of dog is he?" HE was kind of upset that she wasn't a cat person, or maybe she was and he was just jumping to conclusions.  
  
"Yeah he's an Irish Wolf Hound. My last boyfriend was a cop and he got Sawyer for me as a gift, for protection, also he got me martial arts classes." She laughed a bit, "He was overly paranoid about me getting hurt, probably because he had quite a few people come after him. Anyway have a seat, just move whatever you need to. I'll get Sawyer and you can meet him." She said and pulled the towel off of her head and tossed it at one end of the couch, letting her hair fall. He was amazed to see that it reached down to her waist. It was still damp but it was that long. He would have never guessed, then again it was always up in some sort of tight bun. Why would she do that? It was clearly beautiful hair.  
  
"Was there someone else in here a moment ago?" He asked and then sat down, he wanted to smell the towel just so he could smell what her hair might smell like, he'd never gotten close enough to do that and he was big into girly smelling shampoos. House had teased him once for sniffing a girl so he hid it very well now. Leila turned and looked at him oddly. "I...I thought I heard someone speaking a different language and the TV is off." He said. She smiled and then laughed a bit.  
  
"Oh that, I speak Japanese and when I get angry sometimes it just comes out instead of English. Sorry." She walked out of his sight and the moment she was gone he did smell the towel. It was lilacs. He smiled and sat down quickly before she could catch him. He was impressed she spoke Japanese, he had no idea she could, though it would explain the decor a bit better. When she came back, Sawyer was with her. He knew Irish Wolf Hounds were big but he'd never seen one in person. Sawyer whimpered and headed over to him slowly. "Be good Sawyer." She warned. "Can I get you a drink?"  
  
"I uh...beer?" He asked. She looked incredibly sexy but he didn't even think she was aware of that fact. Also she wasn't wearing a bra and the tank top was white. Her mocha colored nipples were rather obvious. The weird thing was he really didn't think she was doing it on purpose.  
  
"I only have Japanese stuff. I don't like American beer." She said, "Is that okay?" She asked as she went behind the bar and got out two cans with labels he couldn't read. They were large cans as well.  
  
"Yeah sure, I don't think I've ever had any though." He said, "But beer is beer."  
  
"It sure is, unless, like I said, it's American. That stuff is just gross." She came back to the couch, Sawyer was licking his hand at that point but he barely noticed with how much he had his eyes on her. She sat down and put the beer on the table in front of her. She reached to a shelf behind the couch and flipped on the PS3 before using the remote to turn the TV on and handing him a wireless controller. "Why do you look like you've never seen a video game controller in your life?" She laughed. "Oh um...House has an Xbox." He said stupidly, "Are you rich?"  
  
"No my parents a---" She paused and looked kind of pained before regaining composure, "Were....sorry I guess I'm rich now. They died recently. I don't want to talk about it okay?" She started to scroll through the menus on the screen to get to the game. Wilson looked at her, that was the first time he ever saw her get upset or lose much control of her emotions. She looked about ready to sob when she said that. He didn't want to poke, yeah he knew her a bit better than most because he dealt with her at work to refer patients to her, otherwise she was a mystery to him.  
  
"Alright then. I guess video games are fine then." He smiled and forced himself to look at the screen, when all he really wanted to do was look at her chest.  
  
"Okay but don't get all whiny when I kick your ass." She laughed and then put her feet up as the game started. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad night after all.

* * *

Cuddy was curled up on her own couch with a large glass of red wine and a good book. The small blanket she kept laying over the back of it was wrapped around her shoulders. All she was wearing was her robe because she had just gotten out of a long, hot bath, she was relaxing and a bit tipsy at that point. Everything was so amazingly perfect that she shouldn't have been surprised when she heard a banging on her door not five minutes later. She sighed and tried to ignore it, when House made his presents known out there by telling her he could see her through the window.  
She was positive he couldn't, but she knew this meant he wasn't going to go away. Also he sounded very drunk or very stoned, or both. Keeping the blanket wrapped around her, she stood up and headed for the door. She hoped this would be as simple as telling him to go away but it never was, and she didn't want him driving if he was intoxicated.  
  
"House could you not do this right now? I was just starting to relax." She said, putting her whole body in the doorframe, not that it would stop him from moving her and coming in anyway but it was worth a shot.  
  
"He isn't answering my calls the stupid jerk." House told her, "I got bored so I came here. He's not home." To anyone who didn't know him, a statement like that could be confusing. Though she knew he meant Wilson.  
  
"And why is it my duty to entertain you when you are bored?" She asked him. He outright ignored that comment and shoved past her to get into the house. "Could you go away please? Wilson has a life outside of you, you do know that right? I mean everyone has a life outside of you."  
  
"You call this a life? You were reading a romance novel while drinking wine. Were you going to take your boyfriend, Mr. HAND-some to bed later? Or was it going to be Prince Rabbit?" He asked, heavily insinuating that she was going to masturbate to the book she was reading. It was kind of odd that Wilson wasn't taking his calls and he also wasn't home, maybe the guy had actually grown a pair and decided to sever the cord, or at least loosen it a bit. Though this would not be good news for the way House's brain worked. Now she was just annoyed, annoyed at the fact that House was teasing her about her lack of a sex life and annoyed that Wilson couldn't just suck it up and hang out with him. Thought she knew it was unfair to be upset at the latter. Wilson did need to learn to socialize without House.  
  
"Is he mad at you for some reason? I can't imagine why." She told him, the last part of the statement dripping with sarcasm. She had seen how he treated Leila that day, and her, it wasn't a stretch to think he had gone and pissed Wilson off immediately after that and now the guy just didn't want to deal with him.  
  
"The hell is that supposed to mean?" He snapped at her and then turned and shut the door by putting his cane up on it and pushing. Why did he always have to invite himself in, like he was completely wanted in every damn situation ever?  
  
"You were just being difficult all day. You made poor Leila's life worse and--"  
  
"No. YOU made Leila's life worse. I didn't ask her to come and supervise my hiring process like I needed a babysitter. You are the queen of making people's lives worse!" He said, his voice raising up loudly. As he got even closer to her, she could smell how drunk he was. It wasn't even late in the evening and he was this drunk. This was not going to be fun, and that comment had stung. Now she knew she wanted him to leave.  
  
"Get out House." She said and started to try to push him back, "If I'm the queen of making people's lives worse, you are the God of it so I wouldn't talk if I were you." She told him, he was easy enough to move backwards towards the door, but getting it open would be the problem. Once he was outside she could shut it and lock it, then call the police if he refused to leave.  
  
"I'm not the one who goes around ordering people's legs to be mangled." He said angrily. Without even thinking about it she slapped him across the face. That was completely unfair and uncalled for.  
  
"Get out of here. Now. I will call the police you bastard." She growled at him, getting in his face. She already felt incredibly guilty for that and he was angry at Wilson but of course he had to take it out on her like the child he was. This was pathetic, and though she knew that when he wanted to hurt he knew exactly how to go for the jugular, and would regret it later, it didn't mean her heart wasn't any less strangled hearing him talk like that to her.  
  
"You wouldn't call the police on me." He said, his hand coming up to rub his cheek gently.  
  
"Try me." She said, impressed with how intimidating she managed to sound when in that moment all she wanted to do was break down and sob. He was a fucking asshole for saying that to her and part of her knew that he knew that, the other part knew that his brain was doing a victory dance because he had managed to get her riled up so fast.  
  
"Fine, but when they find me laying stoned in the gutter, try your hardest not to finish the job and take my whole leg." He snapped and then left quickly, well as quickly as he could though he was drunk and walked with a limp. She slammed the door behind him and locked it. Her perfect night of relaxation ruined, she rested her head against the cool wood of the door and started to cry. Why did he always have to do that? How did he always know exactly what to say to wound her emotions mortally? She was going to have to have a long talk with Wilson about abandoning him. She couldn't take a second round of this shit.

* * *

Two beers in her system, Leila was starting to loosen up a bit more. She hadn't realized that she had drank that much, usually with new company around she didn't drink that much, usually not at all but he was making her feel so incredibly relaxed and happy. They weren't talking about work, or her short comings as a doctor, or anything about House and his antics. They were just shouting and playing a video game. She desperately needed this, and her plans to milk him for information had vanished by the time she was on her second beer, he was on his third. Japanese beer was very light so it was easy to drink a lot and not realize how drunk you were getting.  
  
They got to the end of the next level together and she quickly paused it. "Hang on I have to pee." she giggled, "How do you not have to pee with as much as you drank?" She got up and immediately the room started to spin, "Oh boy..." She said and sat back down again and started to giggle.  
  
"I kind of do but I was afraid of that happening and looking like an ass." he laughed and looked over at her. By that point her hair was dry, she had brushed it out during cut scenes of the video game. It was resting over her back and some in her face now that she had stumbled and was forced to sit back down again. She turned her head to get a better look at him. From standing up to fast like that, her vision was fuzzy and he was kind of hard to see. She didn't realize that was the case because her hair was obscuring her vision, at least not until he reached in and brushed it back. This stopped her giggles though. Why was he doing that? She kind of shied away from him.  
  
"Sorry...I....I just thought it would help you see better." he apologized quickly. She saw his face flush, well more, the fact that that he must be a little drunk would mean he'd already be flushed but this was clearly embarrassment, or arousal. Why though? She was such a dork. How could he like someone like her? She wasn't even in one of her sexy outfits. This night wasn't going right, she was starting not to like it. The fact that the cans of beer were huge and higher alcohol content than normal American stuff always made for a bad combination. It was exactly why she didn't drink it when people came over. She had a fear of making herself look less than perfect to anyone. She was far from perfect but she knew how to act like she was and giving off that persona was the most important thing in the world to her, and now it was slipping because she was drunk and she was starting to like him beyond being a subject for her to study.  
  
"Don't apologize James I'm just...not myself when I am drinking, that's all." She said and offered him a weak smile. She really did have to pee though and waiting any longer was not a good idea. She stood up, took a step, and then tripped over her dog and fell. Sawyer didn't like this and he let out a loud bark. He got up and started to lick her face. Her drunk brain found this incredibly funny and she started to laugh again, trying to wiggle away from him.  
  
"Hey...Sawyer...hey!" Wilson laughed and pulled the dog back. Leila's giggling stopped abruptly and she scrambled to her feet and ran for the bathroom. Wilson had no idea what was going on but looked down and saw a small puddle on the floor. He sighed, it was pretty clear after that what had happened. He paused, trying to think of what to do in that moment. Being drunk wasn't helping, though he came to a good decision. He quickly got up and found paper towels in her large kitchen to clean up the small evidence of her accident and then threw them away. He then headed towards the bathroom.  
  
"You need me to hold your hair back? It's so long I wouldn't want you to get puke in it and have to wash it again." He called. He could hear her in there crying.  
Leila looked up from her hands, her crying stalled for the moment, had he not noticed she had an accident? It was because she was drunk and Sawyer had been making her laugh and, maybe even with as wet as her pants got none was left out there on the floor. She sniffled a bit and coughed. With the way she had run out of there it did seem like it might have been vomit related. She was already out of the pants she just hadn't started to run the water for the shower yet to get cleaned up. She thought she was just going to tell him to leave, but if he didn't know and he thought it was just puke, she'd be okay.  
  
"I--I'm done puking. Don't worry I'm used to getting my hair out of the way first." She called, glad her voice was weak from crying so it did sound like she had puked. "I just got a bit on me, kind of missed the toilet the first time a bit. Can you give me just a bit to wash up?" She asked. She had no idea why she even wanted him to stay after this, even if she had genuinely puked she was not the kind of person who liked anyone near her when she felt that disgusting but now it was different. She was guessing it was the alcohol that was helping facilitate this. She made a mental note to never EVER have that much to drink around him, or anyone else, again.  
  
"Yeah not a problem. I'll just be on the couch, Sawyer keeps good company." She heard him call back. She laughed a bit, completely relieved that he didn't know. So much so, that she actually smiled.  
  
"That he does. Just give me about ten minutes okay?" She called to him, "Then we can talk some more, I don't think this pounding headache will let me continue with the video games tonight."  
  
"Not a problem!" He called back. She laughed a bit more, smiling to herself. She had absolutely no clue what was with her or why exactly she was starting to latch on to someone for the first time in years. Her last boyfriend had gone missing after a really fucked up and shady case and was legally dead now, it had been nine years, she knew he wasn't coming back the the evidence they had pretty much proved he was dead. There was enough blood of his to be drained out of his body completely, just no body. That was basically how the mob operated, they left a statement. Then again she didn't even know if it was the mob that's just what he had always said. It didn't matter any more though. She would have to keep an eye out on this connection she was developing though. Getting close to people only hurt. She learned that with her parents.


	3. Chapter 3

Two weeks had passed before House figured it out. He was surprised it took that long and maybe he needed to give Leila a little more credit than he was, because he was sure that keeping the relationship between her and Wilson secret was not all Wilson's doing. That guy was so easy to squeeze information from, she must have been pulling the strings at some level. It became obvious to him on the morning of what would be going into week two, when he rounded the corner and she was laughing a bit too flirtatiously with her hand on his chest. No woman ever did that to him unless they were into him. At that moment he knew where Wilson had been running off to instead of being with him and he didn't like it.  
  
Leila was already a thorn in his side with how much she checked in on his group and now she had twisted, making the annoyance far worse. He didn't want that woman anywhere near Wilson. As far as people went, she was smart. Maybe not as smart as him, not nearly, but if she knew how to manipulate this so that he didn't figure out their relationship for that long, she had something going for her in way of brains. It wasn't that he wasn't on top of the case either. This was far more entertaining to him than the classroom of idiots that he outsourced to do the work he didn't want to. He wasn't sure if they were fucking yet, but he knew they were doing something.  
  
He hadn't confronted Wilson yet, he wanted to keep an eye on things. Mostly he wanted to keep an eye on Leila and figure out what her downfall would be so he could exploit it. Should he do that, she would crumble, and Wilson would go back to being needy and wanting him instead because she would leave. He would crush her to the point where she'd have to leave and there would be no more Leila Dawson problem.  
  
"Uh Doctor House?" He heard someone say, a female voice, rather annoying. What was it now? He didn't want to talk to any of those people he was trying to hire. He was really just thinking of throwing all their numbers in a hat at that point and picking them out because he just didn't care. His vicodin use had spiked as well, it seemed every time he saw Leila his leg just hurt more.  
  
"What?" He snapped back, annoyed. He was sitting in his office, not realizing he was just staring off into the distance like a space cadet as he thought about ways to get back at Leila. He turned his head and let his eyes focus, he saw number Thirteen standing there. She was hot but went out of her way to be mysterious and kind of tragic so he found her more annoying than anything. She might be good for a fuck but she was skinny and he'd probably break her in half with the shit he was into. Now he just wanted her to go away.  
  
"Doctor Dawson said she wanted to see me for a psych evaluation so I can't do any work for just now." She said and handed over a slip of paper. House arched his eyebrow, what the hell was this woman doing now? Yeah this number thirteen girl was weird but he wouldn't say she needed to be evaluated. He looked at the slip of paper, not only was it signed by Dawson but it had been signed by Cuddy too. He couldn't override this, well he could but then later be henpecked by two very angry females and when he was trying to scheme that was not the best option.  
  
"Tell her she's the one who needs to be evaluated. You're excused." He said and then waved her away, annoyed. The girl gave him a look but then hurried off. Hopefully Leila thought this thirteen girl was crazy enough that she'd be eliminated and it would be one less person he'd be forced to choose from in the end. He really only liked two people in that class as of now and even then it was only cause they were the least smelly piles of shit out of the entire pile. He sighed softly, what had he noticed about Leila that could possibly be her downfall? He could do this. He'd figured out entire diagnosis's before with just a sneeze, this wasn't that hard. That woman wasn't a mystery or dark or anything. That woman went out of her way to hide things from people. There was a difference between what the thirteen girl did and what Leila did.  
  
Leila just didn't offer information period. Thirteen would give out little nuggets like she wanted people to pry and ask questions about her. Leila only ever talked about work. Period. Never where she came from or her hobbies. Should one ask she'd usually respond with "I don't see what that has to do with work." She never let anything slip, she was a solid mask of stone. It was fucking annoying as hell. She didn't tempt anyone to pry into her past because she was boring. She was so incredibly boring that House knew it was on purpose and she probably actually had a lot of other things going for her. Asking around got him the answer that she was weird, or a loner, or geeky, or just didn't socialize outside of the office, which seemed to be true except for Wilson, and he wasn't giving anything up about that.  
  
He had tried, he had tried very hard to get information without exposing that he knew the two of them were together but it wasn't working. In order to get what he sought he would have to confront Wilson, rile him up, and get information on her that way. Leila had the art of pretending to be an ice queen down to a science, but Wilson would crack under pressure. That was his best bet. He grabbed his cane and started to head towards the guy's office. He needed to end this before it would hurt Wilson too much to tear her away.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me about your hot date?" He asked as he entered Wilson's office. Wilson looked up, his eyes wide, other than that his expression was neutral but those eyes always gave him away.  
  
"I don't know what you are talking about. Me with a rather adult movie isn't a hot date. You can leave now." He said and then went back to pretending to fill out papers. He was just pretending now, House could tell. It didn't take a genius to realize this. He let the door shut and came right up to the desk, standing there and trying to be as intimidating as he could be.  
  
"Dawson. I know you are fucking her." He snapped back. This caused Wilson to drop his pen, that was the only answer he needed.  
  
"For your information we haven't fucked yet." Wilson spat out and then realized his mistake and winced, "Please House, this has nothing to do with you. She's just my friend. You are aware people have friends other than you and that doesn't take away from the friendship we have right?" House smiled slyly. So the ice queen was holding out on him too. Though he knew that it would eventually lead to fucking. If he could break them apart before that stage then the worst he'd get was the silent treatment for a few days before Wilson came around. Yes, this was the perfect moment to start acting. Though since it had been two weeks he knew he had very little time to interfere.  
  
"You are just friends with that hot piece of ass? You haven't made a move yet? Cause I know this isn't a case of just wanting to hang out with Dr. Funbags." House said.  
  
"Will you shut up! Why can I not like someone other than you?" He nearly yelled, "She's fun, she's nice, she's interesting, and she's funny. That's basically the complete opposite of you." House just rolled his eyes. Wilson's jabs at him were always so weak. He was very aware that wasn't nice, but he knew damn well he was everything else, and in quantities that could beat Leila badly. Unless Wilson was implying that he was so damn mean that it cancelled the rest of his good qualities out, which he probably was but House couldn't be hurt by a statement like that, it was pathetic.  
  
"Did you smell her hair yet? Is that why? Maybe I need to switch shampoos. Hope hers isn't too girly." He laughed a bit, he knew he had Wilson to a point where he'd start spilling information. Whether he knew it or not, "Besides, she's a lot younger than you, she's probably had a long list of boyfriends whose hearts she broke. You are just next on the list."  
  
"House, I'm telling you that you need to leave right now. I know what you are trying to do. I was warned. I am not giving you information about her by getting angry." He said and took a deep breath and picked up his pen again. That brought everything in House's brain to a screeching halt. Leila was pulling the strings, she had warned him, she had told him things. She was giving Wilson tips on how to deal with him. These past few weeks had been a carefully plotted out plan according to her design to throw him off track. That woman may be someone who dealt in semi-medicine but she knew how to mind fuck someone.  
  
"Who warned you?" He asked slowly.  
  
"Who do you think? She's not head of psych because she got her degree from a box of cracker jacks." He snapped. "You got a problem you can talk to her, but you will get the same answer as you are getting from me. Now either you can leave or I can run out of here, you won't be able to catch me. Which one do you want?" He asked. House felt himself starting to grind his teeth as his jaw clenched tightly. No, this wasn't right. That woman had to go, she was teaching him stuff. She was teaching him how to hide, and that wasn't right. He barely realized how selfish that idea was, because he was fucking pissed, but he would get to the bottom of this. Oh yes, he would, Leila would be gone by the end of the week. He was sure of it.

* * *

"I really just think you need to take time to consider your--" Leila was cut off with her conversation with Remy Hadley when the door to her office swung open and House was standing there. It didn't just swing open either, it slammed open, this caused poor Doctor Hadley to jump, completely startled. Leila jumped, kind of, it was just an internal skip of the heart but otherwise she was stoic. The only reason she hadn't jumped like Hadley was because she had been anticipating a moment like this for weeks now and always had some sort of eye on the door. She had seen it start to swing open, she wasn't at all aware that it would cause that much noise though. "House you need to leave this is a private session, could be seen as a breech of doctor patient confidentiality and could get you fired." She said calmly. That was basically all bullshit that she just said, there was no way any of it would stick, but it might buy her some time. Might. He was smart, he didn't fall for tricks as easily as the others.  
  
"No it's not. I didn't spy on your stupid session I barged in here cutting off whatever bullshit you were about to feed her." House snapped. "Get out of Wilson's head." He demanded. Leila smiled at him almost crookedly. The guy was pissed because she related better to his best friend in a matter of weeks when he couldn't do it right in a matter of years. Maybe because she was actually nice and caring and didn't always have some sort of ulterior motive for talking to him.  
  
"I'm not 'in his head' as you so maturely put it, I'm his friend and offering him advice that you don't like. It's two different things." She said and sat back in her chair. Remy just sat on the couch, looking back and fourth between them, rather confused. Leila knew if she was wondering if she should leave, or stay and try to be a part of this drama. That girl's whole life was drama and angst, she seemed to thrive on it. Leila was trying to tell her that maybe she needed to get her life priorities straightened out and fix herself before she decided to fix other people. It was the end of the session anyway and she had gained a lot on Remy even if the girl was making it difficult by trying to remain a mystery without really being one.  
  
"You are more than his friend. You are practically verbally masturbating him and it won't be long til you actually are masturbating him. I know him well enough to know that's what he wants from you." House spat at her.  
  
"Uh should I leave?" Remy asked.  
  
"WHAT DO YOU THINK!?" House yelled at her. Leila rolled her eyes and sighed. At that point she didn't care if the girl stayed or went, mostly cause the damage had been done. She was going to run off and report to everyone that House had become overly jealous about this relationship that she now had with Wilson. Hell, even if she didn't, she was sure House would do enough damage to her on his own.  
  
"Dr. Hadley I do think it would be appropriate if you left. However I have nothing to hide as I've done nothing wrong. Since this isn't our official session any more you can choose what you want." Leila said, remaining calm. She knew she needed to if she wanted a chance at the girl coming back, because of anyone there she needed the most help in improving her life.  
  
"What the fuck is this Hadley shit? Her name is thirteen! She's not even officially a doctor here yet. God you are so pretentious." House said, "Just leave Wilson alone and we won't have a problem." He came more into her office and started to poke at things with his cane. Leila was trying not to get riled by him. She knew he behaved this way. Wilson had given her miles of insight into him. Besides she was already well aware of how childish and annoying he was, but it had never been directed at her to this level until now. House went over to her bookshelf and poked at the end book with his cane, causing the other ones to topple over and crash to the floor.  
  
"House..." she said, trying so very hard to not let her calm demeanor slip. No one was going to get her to crack, especially not him. She had to be professional, calm, cool, collected, and perfect. She got up slowly while Remy watched in confusion as to what was going on. As she headed to pick up the books she didn't realize that House had slipped a key to her office into his pocket. Well it wasn't just a key, it was the small ring of keys separate from her actual key chain that she had set in the the coffee cup on the desk that she used to hold her pens. Remy didn't see this either, and she had yet to realize that she was about to be very screwed over. She started to calmly put the books back onto the shelf. "I don't see how coming in here and knocking things over with your cane is going to help me take you any more seriously." She said, turning to him.  
  
"Oh so now you are going to berate me for being a cripple? Very professional of you." House said, "I have a cane, I need it to walk, I can't help if it gets in the way of other things and causes you problems." Remy snickered a bit. Leila predicted she wasn't going to leave, this was the kind of thing she thrived on. It didn't matter though, because her being there was actually helping. If she had an audience, Leila had a better time keeping it together. It was overly important to her that she look like the calm, mature one here, so if later House had to be reported there would be no blemish on her end just on House's due to a witness statement.  
  
"That's clearly not what I said. Now, if you'll excuse me. My session with Doctor Hadley has ended and I do have a lunch meeting to attend." Leila said and grabbed her iPad. She only had that and her desk computer that was for the hospital. It was less bulky than a laptop, and had a keyboard for it. It was easier to grab and keep with her at all times than a laptop and since it held far more information on it than her computer, she could take it with her everywhere and not risk someone like him stealing it.  
  
"No one is stopping you from leaving." House told her.  
  
"You are, House, you can't be in here unsupervised while I am gone. It's against the law." She said and grabbed her regular keychain from her top drawer. The keys she kept in the cup were spare keys and she had honestly forgotten that's where she had put them anyway. "Please, you are being overly difficult because your friend made a new friend. This is unprofessional behavior and I think I'll just have to make a call to Cuddy, and then security if you decide you want to stay." The Cuddy comment seemed to hit him harder than the calling of security comment and he put his hands up in mock surrender.  
  
"Don't call that bitch. I'll leave." He said and started to head out of her office, "Stay away from Wilson." He shot at her before leaving completely. She breathed a sigh of relief just not a visible one and looked over at Remy.  
  
"Well, I wasn't lying I have to go to a meeting. My door is always open. At least to you." She said. The younger woman stood up and nodded her head slightly.  
  
"You handled that quite well I guess." She said, she really could only speak on her experience with the fights she had seen him get into with Cuddy, then again he had been at that woman's throat for years. Leila was a relatively new problem in his life. She had little hopes she wouldn't start to crack like Cuddy had. It was sad. They headed out together and Leila shut the door and locked it. She had no idea the hell that was about to reign down on her life in a few hours.


	4. Chapter 4

Once Leila was gone, it was easy enough to get back into her office. He slipped in quietly and closed the door behind him, making sure that it was locked to throw other people off and keep them believing that she wasn't there. The first thing he did was go through her desk, as that seemed the obvious place for her to put information. He was getting upset when he wasn't finding a damn thing. She really did go out of her way to keep things personal separate from work. What the hell was she hiding? No one did that unless they were hiding something.  
  
He sat down at her desk, there were no drawers on the desk that were locked and no boxes that were--he paused. On her shelf there was a box that looked decorative. In fact it just looked like a piece of asian art but he could see a seem in the side where it would open. He smiled brightly. So she did have something there that she didn't want others to know about. He stood up and grabbed it from the shelf and opened it up. Inside there was a smaller manila envelope and that was it. It wasn't labeled as anything but it also wasn't sealed and looked very worn which meant she probably opened it and shut it a lot.  
  
He took the envelope out and looked around before dumping out the contents. Inside were some bank statements, a deed, and then he saw a picture. It was of Leila, much younger, with some guy who looked like a total narc. This guy couldn't have looked more like a cop and he wasn't even in uniform. She was holding onto him and laughing, and he looked equally as happy. This made him smile. That guy was a looker, far more than what Wilson had (at least in his opinion) why the hell wasn't this guy in her life any more? Why did she keep a picture of him in a box that wasn't supposed to look like a box? He laughed a bit and slipped the picture into his back pocket, it wasn't a big one. Then he went to looking at the bank statements.  
  
Holy....shit. Leila was worth a ton of money. So much so, that she could wipe her ass with one hundred dollar bills every time she took a shit and still not have to worry about anything. What had Wilson stepped into? Did he even know? The woman was loaded as fuck and...oh it was her parents. As he read further he found a copy of the will where she inherited all of it and then saw the death certificates. Both parents had died in close proximity to each other. Injuries consistent of a car accident. This was recent too, very recent. Enough so that he could use that to poke at her because it would still be a fresh wound. Not to mention the picture of her with detective boyfriend. Yes, this would all seal the deal and get her to leave. He just had to figure out how to use it. He put the important papers back into the envelope and then the box, placing it back on the shelf just as it had been. He even used the dust mark lines to make sure it was placed correctly. Leila Dawson would be no more in a couple of hours.

* * *

"Well then he storms into my office and starts knocking things over. I told him to leave." Leila was explaining to Wilson as they had lunch in the cafeteria. He had been her lunch meeting. She was kind of shaken by the turn of events, he could tell, at least in her slightly shaky voice. Body language and posture was completely the same though. He felt bad that Cuddy had kind of thrust House into her life when she didn't deserve it. He really just wanted to comfort her but she was so skittish he didn't know where to start. He liked her a lot, more so than any other girl he had met, and though she had told him several times she liked him more than a friend she continued to pull back.  
  
"That's House for you." He sighed and then took a bite of his sandwich, "Just ignore him. If you let him see that he's bothering you he'll just keep upping it a notch until you explode at him and decide to leave. His whole goal in this thing is to get you to leave you know. He feels you threaten the friendship we have."  
  
"I'm aware of that James but, that man is a nuisance. If Cuddy didn't want to fuck him so bad I'm sure he'd have been fired a long time ago. Not to discount his intelligence, I know he's smart. Incredibly so, but the way he conducts himself should be grounds for termination. If there weren't romantic feelings involved, he'd be gone." She was very sure of this fact. Cuddy was a great dean, very competent, except for when it came to House. At first she thought maybe it was just talk, but now that she'd seen it first hand there was a clear weakness for that man in Cuddy's heart and Leila wasn't liking it too much.  
  
"He is a very good doctor but I tend to side more with you the majority of the time. Not that I want to see him out of a job but Cuddy does offer him favoritism she doesn't offer anyone else." He sighed, "I think it comes down to him brining in grant money and donors, and a few things that happened before you came here." He said. She nodded slightly.  
  
"He can't get to me though. The only person in this place that knows enough about me to rattle my cage is you and I know you wouldn't do that." She took his hand gently and squeezed it. He stopped chewing for a moment. That was the first time she had made contact with him other than a quick hug goodbye. It was a good sign. He flipped his hand over and squeezed hers back, making eye contact and smiling at her. At that point she was just so upset and so happy to have someone like him in her life that she was feeling overly connected to him.  
  
"I...come with me really quick okay?" She asked and stood up. He looked at her, noticing the look in her eyes was one of lust and he wasn't going to deny a quick chance to fool around with her even if it was just some light, over the clothes fondling. She took his hand and pulled him out of there. There was a storage closet that was basically abandoned that she knew about. Cuddy was having it converted to a drug lock up but it was in between that and being just a closet so no one ever went in there.  
  
She led him to it and opened it up before pushing him inside ahead of her, quite firmly at that. He knew what was going to happen the moment she shut the door behind them and her eyes shone in the dim lighting with hunger. She pulled him into a passionate kiss. Her biggest problem was letting tension like this build and now it had overflowed because of the fact that she absolutely wanted him from the night he had just thought she was puking in the bathroom. He still hadn't revealed the truth so as far as she knew that was what he thought. The fact that he still hadn't wanted to leave after she'd done something she found disgusting made her very happy and since then this was all she had wanted to do.  
  
He groaned softly into the kiss and felt her push him into the wall and press up against him. He could feel her large, firm breasts against his chest as she ran her wild hands over his body. She groaned back, making sure to rub into him, she could feel the excited bulge in his pants. She wasn't going to stop. There was no way they'd actually fuck in there, it would be too messy to finish up the rest of the day, but she was going to get her orgasm as well as him. That much she knew.  
  
He wasn't exactly sure how she knew he wanted her to be firm and take control. He was the kind of guy who was needy, wanted to be needed, but also wanted his space and either she knew this and was acting accordingly or she was just a really good match for him because of how she was in her own life. He didn't care though, this was hot and he was going to take kinky storage closet sex and be very happy with it.  
  
"You wanted this as bad as I did, didn't you?" She breathed, only breaking their lip lock long enough to get out. He groaned a very happy and affirmative response to that and felt her hands start to undo his pants. She moved with quick, confident motions. There was no hesitation or doubt. It was clear she was insanely attracted to him and was actually trying to hold back so she wouldn't rip his clothes off and ruin them.  
  
Once he was released from his pants she bit his bottom lip firmly, but not painfully and tugged it back before releasing. "You want my hand or my mouth, my mouth would be less messy but I don't want you to finish on my face before I can get it in there. I can feel how excited you are." She giggled flirtatiously as she wrapped her hand around his hard cock. He groaned, she was so fucking kinky. This was a very sharp change from how she conducted herself at the office and he loved it. It was like that whole stuck up sexy librarian who became a slut in the bedroom.  
  
"Mouth...please...mouth..." Was all he could manage to squeak out. What man in his right mind would turn down a blow job? Especially from her. Those thick lips and expressive eyes? That's all he wanted in the world right now.  
  
"Alright just, try to keep it together, I really don't need a stain on this dress." She kissed his cheek and got down on her knees. He kept his eyes up and his head tilted back. To look at her doing that now with the weeks of tension between them, he knew he would lose it and quite bad. It would be okay once she had him safely inside of her mouth because then if he did lose it there was no chance of a mess.  
  
He felt her lips around him and she didn't even hesitate to start to try to take him in deep. Her head moving in back and fourth motions as she started to relax her throat to get as much of him in her as possible. He had never had it this good, none of his ex wives were like this even when they were dating. This was the first sex act she had done on him and already she was miles on top of everyone. He was pretty sure it was a dream now, because Doctor Leila Dawson was not the woman in the closet with him in that moment. This was some queen of the sluts who had gone insane with arousal. He loved it, but he was still doubting it was anywhere near real.  
  
She was gagging, he could feel it and hear it, he wasn't sure if it had anything to do with her making the noise louder or not, like she was exaggerating it, but it still turned him on. He was so close, she was going to push him over the edge in under a minute and make him look like a horny teenage boy who couldn't control himself. The weird thing was, he didn't care. Normally he would, maybe because Sam had berated him for his 'minute man' qualities all the time, but he didn't think she'd care either. He believed she was quite aware that it would happen fast because of what they had built between them. He didn't feel a need to hold on for her, he knew he wouldn't be judged. This was amazing.  
  
His hand found the top of her head and grabbed onto her bun roughly, which just seemed to encourage her to fuck her face on him faster. He finally did look down, he had to see this amazing act being performed on him, that's when he lost it.  
  
"Oh Fuck, Leila..." He groaned loudly and came. She moved back so the tip of him was in her mouth as he did, and she swallowed down everything, even taking him out and licking the tip very gently before putting him back in his pants and zipping them up. She coughed a few times and he felt his legs start to go weak. He let go of her hair and started to slide down to a sitting position so he could regain the energy to walk out of there like nothing had happened.  
  
"Glad I could help." She laughed a bit and then coughed, pulling him into another kiss. "You need to help me now too James, there is no giving without receiving in my sex life, it's only fair." She smiled and pulled her self into his lap once he was completely on the floor. He looked at her, she had basically sucked the energy right out of him, but she did deserve her half of that as well. Besides he wanted to touch her, feel her wiggle against him as she writhed in the ecstasy he was causing her.  
  
"I wouldn't dream of not reciprocating that." He told her softly. He nuzzled his face into her neck and started to hike the hem of her dress up over her hips. She moaned a bit, tilting her head to the side so he could have better access. First his hand brushed against her panties, they were soaked. Had he ever gotten a woman like that before? He didn't think so. Mostly Sam just laid there and took it while he had his fun and then complained about how she'd have to complete the job later. Leila was clearly ready for this. Maybe her being so repressed and stoic was a good thing. It would turn her into a tomcat in bed and he needed this. He needed the calm, balanced life at work and to hang out, and the wild whore to fuck him every night. This would be the best thing possible for him.  
  
He moved her panties aside and slipped two fingers into her skillfully. She moaned out loudly, probably loud enough that anyone passing could hear it. He assumed no one was out there, he assumed wrong. House had been watching them from afar and had followed. Not that he intended on letting them know that, not right away of course.  
  
"Fuck James..." She breathed, "You are going to get us caught." She shifted so she could rest her face on his shoulder, that way if she needed to moan like that again it would be into him, and muffle it substantially. He started to work his skilled fingers in and out of her, ignoring her clit. He was teasing her, she fucking loved being teased like that. All those days of giving exams with those amazing hands really paid off here. She grabbed his free hand, though, and put it on her chest, causing him to groan. "Touch them, fucking touch them James, they aren't there to just look at. I know you want to touch them...you stare at them when you think I'm not looking. I don't care....I don't care because I love you." She breathed not even realizing what she was saying she was so worked up.  
  
He felt a lump in his throat at her words, and swallowed it down. He decided it was best to just ignore that part of it because he wasn't sure if she really just meant "lust" or an intense like. He was still going to give her what she sought and ferret it out later. Her hips started to move gracefully towards his hand, he groaned again, if this was how she'd fuck him he was in for something amazing.  
  
"Please...please let me cum...." She begged loudly, it was still muffled because of the way her face was against him but he knew it was time to stop teasing. As he moved his fingers in and out he used his thumb to massage her clit softly. The scream of passion it produced from her as she orgasmed was barely muffled by his body even though she was pressing into him hard enough for it to hurt. Outside, House was smiling. He may have hated that woman but she sounded fucking hot when she orgasmed, that was for sure. Knowing his time was close to over if he didn't want to be caught, he went on his way. He had such a wealth of information at that point he didn't need to "catch" them leaving. Besides, there were plans in motion and he'd have to act if he wanted them done on time.  
  
Wilson let her collapse against him, so she could catch her breath after that. She started to cough again then laugh, he had taken her breath away twice. As he moved his hand from under her dress she grabbed it and started to lick his fingers clean gently, evoking yet another moan from him. She was surprised he wasn't hard a second time from this but that orgasm he had, was intense and he didn't seem to be that much of a stallion which was great because she didn't want their entire relationship to be about sex. As much as she enjoyed passionate and kinky sex she didn't want that to be the basis of the entire relationship, not with him or anyone.  
  
"You are amazing." He said to her and she kissed his lips softly.  
  
"You don't even begin to know the half of it, James." She whispered and then pulled him into a deeper kiss before getting to her feet. He didn't know how she managed to not fall over in those heels but she was doing it. She reached for his hand and helped him up as well. "Come on, we need to get back to work. Can I see you tonight at my place?"  
  
"Yes, God yes...after that you could see me down the hall in twenty minutes." He joked. She smiled at him and stroked his cheek softly.  
  
"You'll get plenty of my attention later okay." She opened the door slightly and looked around. The hallway was completely abandoned. "It's safe. I'll see you around seven okay?" She asked him. He nodded. He was probably the happiest he'd ever been in his life.

* * *

It was late in the day when Leila's phone gave off an email alert. She still had time to kill while she was there, her last session had ended about ten minutes ago and she couldn't clock out for another twenty. She sighed and then signed onto her computer to check it. Of course the mail had been sent from House and she thought of deleting it before she saw the subject line. 'The Worth Of L. Dawson' what in the hell could that mean?  
  
She clicked it and inside were things she had tried to hard to keep secret from everyone, including Wilson. He knew far more than the average person did but not this. There were scanned copies of her last bank account statements, the will that left her the fortune, and at the bottom the picture of her and Mark, her ex boyfriend. She took in a strangled gasp. No. This wasn't right. No one could know about this.  
  
The reason she kept it hidden was that because her parents were wealthy business tycoons people would assume she had bought her position there. Luckily Dawson was a common enough last name that no one knew that she was a Dawson of the computer mogul Dawsons. When people found that out, she learned from a young age, everyone thought it was about her parents buying her stuff. Her education, her awards, her grades, none of that meant shit to anyone when they realized who her parents were. She didn't want people to know, especially because she hadn't even been close to them. They had been horrible parents. Not abusive just rather absent because all they cared about was making more and more money. She loved them to death but they showed that they loved her in way of cash not in actual affection. It made her the person she was, the person who had to be perfect (or at least appear it) in order to think she was good. The person who made sure she was the best in everything she tried just so she could get a tiny amount of praise from them. She wasn't where she was because it had been bought, she was where she was because in order to get them to look at her she HAD to be that good.  
  
She felt it all start to unravel, come out of her, and she began to sob. People couldn't know this about her, they didn't know the whole story. She wasn't some rich spoiled brat, she was a hard worker, she was smart, she had done everything on her own merit and now that would be destroyed. No one looked at Paris Hilton or the Kardashians as smart. She would get the same treatment and it was what she fear her entire life. How House had picked up on it, or gotten the information she had no clue. The picture at the bottom just made it sting even worse. Mark was gone, he was dead, she could have been happy but he was taken away by someone else's fault just like the drunk driver that had killed her parents. She couldn't win, she could never win, House had set out to destroy her and he had. She laid her head on the desk and sobbed. The email had been sent hospital wide and she didn't have the first clue on how to take it back. The worst part was Wilson would see it before she could explain it to him and that hurt more than anyone else knowing. He'd feel betrayed, like she had hidden something from him, when it was actually just too painful to talk about right away. Now the cat was out of the bag and she was shit out of luck. She didn't know what she was going to do. The best option just seemed to be sitting there and sobbing.


	5. Chapter 5

"House, I don't see what this email accomplished but you need to apologize to Doctor Dawson right now." Cuddy was yelling at him from his office. He was just sitting, completely smug. Leila hadn't even been the one to tell her, she had just seen it on her own. Had it been anything else he had done she probably would have let it go. The email was so vague that no one else was going to be able to figure out what the hell it meant except for him, Leila, and whoever else was involved that she wanted to keep all of this secret from. Cuddy had been aware of her situation because she knew when her parents had died. She was amazed that though the girl could have taken months for grieving she only opted to take two weeks. Cuddy was unaware of the fact that Leila was worth that much, but she didn't exactly see why it mattered in the first reason. House always had his motives though.

"Oh it accomplished something, I'm sure of it." He smiled and put his hands behind his head smugly. He had this huge sense of victory and it was amazing to him that such a mild thing could cause so much chaos. He didn't even really have to break a law this time, well not really. Breaking and entering into a psychiatrists office was a pretty high level crime, but it wasn't his fault those keys had been in plain sight. It was like she had practically handed them over to him.

"How did you get this information?" Cuddy asked, "If her identity gets stolen we can be held responsible, I don't--"

"I blanked out all her account and personal information. Jesus Christ Cuddy lighten up. It's not like I emailed everyone nude pictures of her. Though those might be far more entertaining to everyone. See her body is in proportion. You know like her ass isn't to b--"

"Shut up." Cuddy snapped cutting him off. He had been at his absolutely worst the past two weeks. She hoped whatever this prank was, he had gotten it out of his system and now would return to the less annoying version of himself. She could always hope, and as always she hoped wrong. She opened her mouth to speak again when she heard the door to his office open. Cuddy turned to see Leila standing there. The woman looked incredibly calm and collected, there was even a smile on her face, a slight one. Her eyes were dead though, more dead than they had been when Cuddy had seen her while she informed her that her parents had died. House had killed something inside of her.

"Can I speak with him alone please?" She asked in her normal tone of voice. Yet it was kind of lacking something. This was weird. Leila was being professional even though Cuddy could almost see the flames welling up inside of her, threatening to spew out at House once she was gone. Cuddy couldn't leave here, mostly because something in her was convinced Leila would hurt him. Probably not physically but that woman was smart when it came to the inner workings of the brain. She was almost positive Leila would say a very long list of things that could destroy House. She wouldn't allow it to happen if she could stop it.

"Considering what happened and the fact that this clearly upset you, well he clearly thinks it upset you because you look fine to me. I don't think leaving you two alone would be within my best interest. If you want to pursue this outside of work, I can't stop you. In my hospital though, I will mediate it." Cuddy said sternly. She turned back to look at House just in time to see his mimicking mouth movements over what she was saying. He rolled his eyes at her when her own narrowed into a glare.

"Lighten up. Like you said, she's fine. Look at her, not a feather ruffled out of place, as usual." House said, but it was with that glib, smugness he usually had, not some annoyance at her unbreakable surface. He was seeing what she was seeing, he was seeing that he had broken something in her and he was getting a huge kick out of.

"How did you find those documents, House?" Leila asked after taking a deep breath. She spoke slowly, and firmly, knowing if she didn't her voice would crack or shake, giving away how unstable she was in that moment. The first thing she had done after she had calmed down was try to find Wilson. He hadn't been in his office and he wasn't answering his phone. This was killing her, she had absolutely no idea why this was the case, and of course her brain was coming up with the absolute worst possibilities. Not the one that maybe he was down in x-ray with a patient and couldn't have his phone on. That his appointment ran late and though he had checked the email he had kind of just rolled his eyes. She didn't think of that possibility because her brain always jumped to the worst case scenario.

"I have sources." He smiled smugly in her direction, then his eyes saw the light in hers flicker back on. Fuck, she knew didn't she? And she was about to say it too. The moment slowed down for him, something had to come in there and save them, a person, Wilson, a pager or phone going off, Cuddy having some sort of massive coronary episode, anything. Shit. She couldn't expose him, oh fuck. Then he saw it, his saving grace, it was just a quick flicker of white between the blinds before the door opened.

"Leila? There you are. This was kind of the last place I thought you'd go after what he did but...I keep finding you are surprising me." Wilson said when he saw her. She turned, completely cut off from what she was going to say. However in the two seconds that passed between Wilson coming in and her about to say anything she had seen his eyes as well. The deer caught in the headlight looks. He had figured out that she now held information against him. He knew that she knew. Now she held the cards and that's really all she felt she needed to happen for her to regain control of this. She took a deep breath and a genuine smile crossed her face as she heard Wilson speak.

"I just wanted to inform him how inappropriate his actions were but it looked like Cuddy came in here to do that for me." She said returning basically to normal. Now Cuddy was the one who looked dumbstruck. Wilson hadn't seen that moment where Leila was a bit dead inside, but she had, and so had House, and now it seemed like everything was incredibly clear for Leila. That she had figured something out that no one else in the room had, well except maybe House because she saw his eyes as well. Where she had been standing enabled her to see both of them at once. Something odd was going on here.

"What just...I...you aren't upset with him?" Cuddy asked, she wanted to ask what just happened because clearly something did. She hated the fact that now it was clear Leila had her own epiphany moments like House and through this they both seemed to share some sort of telepathic bond where they had come to an understanding with body language instead of words. Leila wasn't like him though, she had those moments every once in a very great while. However, she tended to only have them when she seriously needed them and luckily, circumstances were what they were for House to react exactly the way he needed to for her to see it. She was not nearly on his level of intelligence but this worked in her favor because now, at least to Cuddy, it looked like she was.

"No, I'm sure you handled it just fine. I mean he's not really trying to interject so I think he got the message. James we have a lot of talking to do, can I treat you to dinner?" She asked and then put her hand on his arm, flirtatiously and lovingly making sure Cuddy saw. As far as everyone in the hospital knew, they weren't a thing. House had been the only one to figure it out, but with that simple movement she told Cuddy as well. She wanted to laugh triumphantly when she saw the looked on Cuddy's face as she had her own moment of clairvoyance. Now Leila was sure it was clear that Cuddy had figured out what the hell had gone on here in the first place.

"Sure, that sounds good. You look like you could use a drink." He smiled at her and led her out of House's office. Cuddy watched them for a moment, the way Wilson's arm wrapped around her from behind as they walked and talked. She turned, with an annoyed laugh she faced House.

"All of this because they are dating?" She asked, "House, you need to grow up. If you keep acting this way Wilson will voluntarily cut you off because you are being an ass. Him dating Leila has nothing to do with anything you and he have." Cuddy said, trying to stay away from her scolding tone. He still hadn't spoken in quite some time. He looked like he was thinking about something, having another one of those moments, except for this time it looked like his brain was glitching and it kept hitting a metaphorical brick wall. As if he was coming to the same horrible conclusion in his mind over and over after running a hundred different scenarios. "Are you even listening to me?" She demanded.

"Cuddy, what's between me and him, and me and that bitch, is none of your concern." He finally spoke, but he wasn't looking at her, he was just staring out through the glass doors in a zombie like daze of maniacal hate. Cuddy was sure if humans had evolved to the point where they could use their minds to start fires, that whole room would have been up in flames. Whatever had happened in those two seconds had not only scared House, but it had pissed him off more. She wasn't going to get answers here, she was going to have to go to Leila. The last thing she wanted to do was to alert House to the fact that she knew this, or stop Wilson from getting a date and possibly amazing sex later so she wasn't going to tell House this.

"It is if it happens at work. Leave her alone, leave him alone, do your damn job, and realize the whole world doesn't shut down to make sure Greg House is okay." She told him. Since that night when he had made the comment about his leg and how she destroyed lives, she had been upset with him. She wasn't going to let him destroy another life, or two, because he couldn't accept the fact that the universe wasn't controlled by him and people didn't exist to jump at his every command.

"They were fucking in the storage closet at lunch. That happened at work." House told her. She laughed at him, a good, hard laugh, because she didn't believe it. Leila Dawson and James Wilson fucking in a storage closet at work? In what universe did that happen? To her that sounded like a last ditch effort to get them in trouble. She didn't know it was the truth, however Leila had half anticipated him some how finding out and had decided that if he did catch them and he was the only one, no one in their right minds would believe him because it was so incredibly out of character for her. Or so it would seem. She was glad she had kept the walls up for as long as she did, because now she could get away with a lot more than he could. Greg House was in for some amazing fucked up revenge, Dawson style.

* * *

"So your parents are the Dawsons of the Dawsons?" Wilson asked stupidly. The email had basically said that, but House had been known to come up with some pretty good forgeries and he could never trust anything that was sent to him by that man that was meant as some kind of jab at revenge.

"Yeah they were. They died and left me their fortune. It's a never ending stream of money it's not going to stop, whoever my kids are they will be just as rich." She smiled but it was a sad smile. He looked at her and took her hand from across the table and squeezed it reassuringly.

"You know I don't care right?" He asked her. They were sitting at a far more fancy place than he had ever been. The tapas alone were over 30 dollars a plate. Then entree prices were insane. She said not to worry about it because she was treating and he was glad for that, other wise he would be worried about his 65 dollar entree of some fish he had never heard of that both Leila and the waitress had recommended. "You also didn't have to take me here to prove it, I would have believed you if you told me at a Burger King."

"I know, and that's exactly why I like you so much. I took you here because it's the only place in town I know of that serves a mako shark steak and also cooks it right. I really really wanted one and I haven't found a place other than here that can do it." She smiled, "It's not supposed to be rubbery and hard, it's supposed to be firm and flakey. I am aware of how pretentious that sounds but when I'm upset that's what I want to eat. Shark." He smiled, he thought that spoke volumes about her with her barely having to say anything. When she got upset she chose to dine on a vicious predator of the sea for comfort. He could understand the logic behind that amazingly well.

"Be as pretentious as you want. House does it and he's not even deserving of it. I--I mean the....I don't mean because of your bank balance I just mean because he's an asshole." Wilson scrambled to correct the first part of the statement.

"Please don't start doing that. You know I am a billionaire now. I know it doesn't matter to you, you are allowed to make all the jokes you want about champaign and caviar and how I probably own seventeen dressage horses. House isn't. Okay?" She told him. She really didn't care if he said it because she knew he would only mean it in a joking matter. House would use it to jab at her relentlessly and it would be all in good fun. It would hurt, and that's exactly why it was fine for him to call light attention to it and not House.

"This is all very new to me. I mean within the past four months new. Obviously if I wanted to brag about how I just became an heir and go take a shit on Cuddy's desk to leave my resignation I would have. There's a reason I didn't."

"Can you tell me what it is? Because I don't quite understand it myself. I understand if you need time because this all does seem rather painful for you to talk about. I noticed the first night when I asked you and you kind of had to clear your throat." He said. She looked at him, she was iffy on if he had noticed that or not but now he was admitting it, which to her was a good thing. He was telling her something he knew would be upsetting to her instead of holding back because he had just found out she could buy her own small country if she wanted.

"First off, if you notice something that I don't think you noticed that you think will upset me, you need to be honest. The reason I rarely tell people about my situation is because it turns them into liars. If you are honest with me, we won't have a problem, even if I do get upset. I'd much prefer that over someone trying to save me from the real world as if I deserve it because I was handed way too much stupid money." She said, "Are we in agreement with that?" He looked at her, and she didn't miss the way his face drained of color when she said that. Oh God what else had he noticed? What was he keeping from her? He was already starting to do it. Fuck. House had ruined this for her.

"No...no no...don't freak out. It was something else I noticed that first night too. Honestly other than that I haven't hidden a damn thing from you. I even told you that day you smelled bad, remember? It just turned out that it was your gym bag you were carrying and you told me that and then we laughed. I'm not in the business of lying to you I just thought that night it wasn't the best for me to be telling you how I knew you wet your pants when you fell down." He winced, God was she ever going to get upset with that one. She looked at him, he couldn't put a definition on her expression either, and that was something he hated about her. Even when they weren't at work she did that. He wanted her to stop doing that. Her whole 'keep a stone cold expression no matter what' thing was making him feel shut out more than if she scolded him or got angry.

She didn't realize until that moment that she was doing it either, or just how much it was annoying him. The only reason she saw it was because after the moment he winced and then looked at her, she saw fear turn to annoying and she got scared. She instantly let the mask drop and started crying. It was kind of odd for her, to let her guard down that much. Had she ultimately not trusted him, the facade would have stayed but she knew somehow, when he told her about her pissing her pants the first night, just blurting out everything, that he truly was who and what he said he was and that triggered something in her that said it was okay to let her guard down.

"Leila?" He asked, he was rather confused. Did he fuck her up mentally by saying that? Was she about to call this off? What the hell had he done? He got up and moved to her side of the booth. They had ordered a private one in the back and before he could make any move to comfort her, as he usually had to make the first move, she practically leapt into his arms.

"I'm not angry, I'm not. I don't....I need to stop shutting you out. I know that. Don't....don't leave. That's what he wants you to do, he wants you to leave and normally I'd just let him win because I think love is pointless and stupid. Usually. I don't any more, I've never met someone like you. I can't let this stop because of all my dumb hang ups and complexes. Please. I love you." She said, holding onto him tightly. He didn't even hesitate to wrap his arms around her once she was clinging to him like that. He had never felt like this before. This girl was so strong, and firm, and dominant, she needed to be needed just as much as he did but she also needed her space like he did. She had rules and regulations for every aspect of her life that were so regimented she just started to apply them for everything. This situation was so opposite from what he'd ever been in because she wanted to change for him, this time it was the woman working for his love, not the other way around and he liked that as much as he hated to admit it.

"I know. You told me that when I grabbed your chest in the storage closet today, I wasn't sure how aware of it you were but I didn't say anything because it didn't bother me." He said to her, "Because I do love you to, I know this. It took me a moment to digest that, well the rest of the day but thinking back on it...I can't say that I don't any more because I'd be lying." He said softly. "I just really didn't know how to approach it and then the House prank or whatever happened and I immediately thought 'how can I tell her now? She'll think it's because of his information...I--"

"I know you better than that. I know you are telling the truth." She said, her tears starting to ebb. "Mostly because you didn't come here to propose or try to half ass some romantic dinner or even lie about being worried to pick up the bill here. I know you James, I know you aren't going to lie to me. It took a lot guts to tell me about what you saw that first night, especially after holding it in for so long. But why didn't you say anything then?" She asked and then wiped her eyes gently with her napkin, she was sure her makeup was already smeared, she didn't care, she just wanted to minimize the effect of looking like a raccoon or crack whore.

"I really don't think a girl you've been crushing on wants to hear that you know that the night you started considering your first official date." He told her, "I thought it would be easier on the both of us. Monday at work would have been pretty awkward." He said and reached to stroke her hair but realized it was in that bun. It was another thing he hated. It was fine for work, because her hair was ridiculously long but outside she looked so much better with it down.

"You don't like the bun, do you?" She asked him and laughed softly. "It's okay, I don't like it either. It gives me headaches. I really just get so used to it being like that I don't ever take it down before I go to sleep. You can remind me of that and I'll try to remember from now on. I should be letting my hair down around you anyway shouldn't I?" She reached up and pulled out a few pins. Her hair fell, it was still in a pony tail but it looked so much less severe than it had before. She looked more relaxed, like she had on the night of their first date. He smiled at her.

"This is a moment I wish I had some sort of thing to pull off me to make me look more attractive, but I don't think these people in here want to see shirtless James Wilson." he laughed slightly. She snorted again, like that cute snort she let out when he made that joke about needing to wear a fedora and then she giggled. She really was letting he guard down for him and he made him feel so much better. It made him feel like she was trying, he knew there was probably a lot of work she'd have to do before she could relax fully, but the key here was that she wanted to. He could help her as well.

"I want to see shirtless James Wilson." She said with a flirtatious smile, "I want to see a lot of that." She ran her hand over his chest and pulled him into a kiss just as their food arrived at their table.

"Is everything okay here?" The waitress asked, "You look upset, can I get you some more water?"

"No, I'm fine, the moment passed." Leila said, "Thank you though. The food looks delicious." It really did, and it smelled even better now that she wasn't sitting there alone for the millionth night in a row.

"Well if your date's going to stay over there, let me help." The waitress said and moved Wilson's plate so it was across from him and not on the other side of the table, "You two make a cute couple I wouldn't want to break you two a part so you can eat." She smiled. Leila started to blush a bit and hid her face against Wilson. He smiled stupidly.  
"Thank you." He said, "But she's right, this food looks great and I want to eat."

"I can take a hint. I'll leave you two alone." She said and then walked away. Wilson let her words play through his head for a moment, yeah, they did make a cute couple and he'd be damned if he'd let House ruin something this good.

* * *

Cuddy was at home making herself dinner when her phone started to ring. She sighed, something in her brain knew this wasn't going to be a good phone call even though she didn't recognize the number. She predicted it would be about House and she was soon to find out that she predicted right. She put the phone to her ear after pressing the button to answer it.

"Hello?" She asked. She moved to stir the pasta that she was cooking. Now she was going to have leave dinner and be hungry as all hell because of something House had done. She kind of wished this wasn't as routine for her as it was.

"Hey Cuddy. You need to come down to the ER and explain to the cops that the reason I appear intoxicated is because I have a prescription for vicodin. They don't believe me." House told her, then she heard the phone get covered up and some muffled arguing, all she could make out was a stern voice saying 'a prescription would not account for that much narcotics in your system' and then House telling them to shut up and that she would explain why he needed that much.  
She really wanted to hit end and hang up on him, but why was he in the ER? He said ER right? Not police station. Had he been in an accident? The part of her she promised would stop worrying about him stopped listening and went into panicked overdrive.

"House? HOUSE!" She yelled but then he came back on the phone.

"Calm down, I'm here." He told her. She hated that she breathed a sigh of relief after that. SHe cleared her throat slightly and put on her best 'I don't really care voice' for the next part.

"Why are you in the ER? what happened?" She asked, she was scared. Just because he was coherent enough to talk to her didn't mean he wasn't seriously hurt, he could have a pretty bad injury and they might have just gotten him stable to the point where he could make a phone call. Also why wasn't this his number or the number of one of the hospital phones? She would have known both.

"I fell off my bike. It's no big deal, just a broken wrist. They want to call it a DUI. Get down here and explain to them why it's not." He told her, "It isn't because I need that vicodin for my leg." He was very insistent on this. Though how much had been in his system? And he broke his wrist? What the hell had he been doing? He had that bike for a long time and she was pretty sure the majority of the time when he took it out he was stoned. This was not a good sign, this meant he had been taking risks.

"How much is in your system?" She asked him, "I am not going to defend you if it's a ridiculous amount." She told him. Though that was a lie because she'd end up doing it anyway. Without even realizing it, she had already turned off the burner to the stove and was going to get her purse and her car keys. How he had this magical hold on her she'd never know. She hated it and loved it.

"You've seen me more intoxicated at work so nothing surprising." He replied as if it was no big deal that he had hurt himself to this point and then was under police interrogation. Thank God Tritter was out of the picture by that point or she would have had to go find a gun to shoot herself with. That man was just the ultimate creeper.

"Fine, one last question though." She said as she struggled to get her jacket on as she held the phone to her ear.

"I'm not going anywhere, they have me handcuffed to the bed. So ask away." He snapped back at her. She was irked at how he could sound so annoyed with her when she was the one who should rightfully be pissed off.

"Why aren't you on a phone I'd know?" She asked, "You didn't use one of the hospital phones and this isn't your own number, so what's going on?"

"I knew you wouldn't have answered if it was the number to the ER and my phone got broken in the crash, it was in my pocket." He said. She rolled her eyes a bit, he was always one step ahead of her. "Are you coming or do I have to fight off Bubba in jail tonight?"

"I'm coming you ass." She said and then hung up. This was really the last thing she wanted to have to deal with right now, but she was going to. Cleaning up his messes seemed like something she always did whether she wanted to or not. She wished she could change that part of her.

* * *

Wilson led a giggling Leila into his place. She was being really loud and it was because she was drunk again. Though this was a happy, stupid, cute drunk and he was enjoying it. He was very glad she hadn't gone into angry depressed drunk, though he was sure things were starting to lighten up for her.

"Shh you are going to wake every one up." He told her softly, which of course just caused her to laugh louder which in turn made him laugh. Luckily enough he got the door unlocked quickly and then got her inside of his place. She pulled her shoes off immediately and threw them by the door.

"You know what a bitch it is to wear those heels all the time? How come House gets away with tennis shoes?" She came over to him, he liked that she was shorter without the heels, made her easier to hold, and though she wasn't as tall as him in them she was close, he liked being able to look down into her eyes instead of basically just across and into them, he had no idea why that was the case though. Maybe because he always had that with House and it intimidated him.

"Because Cuddy would let him come to work in a speedo if he told her that it helped him be a more effective doctor." Wilson said and then pulled her into a kiss. She kissed him back passionately but rather sloppily.

"Maybe I should tell her I work better in a thong bikini." She giggled, "Though I don't think that would help anyone else work better." She started to undo his pants, pulling his belt off quickly. He put a hand on her wrist once she had the piece of leather most of the way out of it's loops, she was working quickly.

"Hey, are you sure you want this now? You are really drunk." He said to her. She just looked at him like he was stupid which was funny to him because she was drunk and yet she was still some how able to make a face to question his judgement.

"James I would have fucked you in that closet today if it wouldn't have been horribly messy for me. It's not like this is the first time we were going to do anything, it was inenevertable." She said and then laughed a bit, "Inearvartabile." She couldn't get that word out and she started laughing more, it was funny to her, and to him it was really cute.

She did have a point though, she clearly wanted this, and he didn't know why he was hesitating. He was guessing he was looking out for her best interest. He started to kiss her again and then went to get her dress off, she was still in the same one from work. Then he stopped himself.

"I can't." He said, moving her back slightly. She frowned a bit and tilted her head to the side in this cute, innocent, dog like way that made him just want to jump on her even more, "The first time we have actual sex I don't want it to be because you got drunk and jumped on top of me. You understand that right?" He asked her. She looked at him for a moment longer as if she had to digest all of that. He was kind of afraid she might get angry at him.

"Well, as much as it annoys me, because I am more horny than you could imagine. I guess I can respect it because you respect me. But...yeah you are being kind of a jerk." She smiled at him again, trying to show that it really wasn't a big deal that he was telling her no at that point. "I can wait, I know if you are saying this then you have no plans of going anywhere and you can wait too. Even with as drunk as I am I know that."

"Good." He said and then picked her up in his arms completely, like he was going to carry her over the threshold after a wedding. He started to head into his bedroom, she was laughing and swinging her long, toned, and perfect legs a bit as he did. "You need to sleep this off and we'll see how you feel in the morning."

"You're right. We'll see how I feel in the morning and I can pronounce the word inevivivtible again." She giggled as he laid her on the bed. "Stay with me though James. I want to know you are here." She added, grabbing his tie and pulling him down on top of her. He let himself be pulled down with her. The talk they had over dinner that night had explained so much about her, the way she was, why she put up walls, her parents, her life, even her ex boyfriend Mark. Despite all the shit she thought she was serving up, it ultimately was no worse than anyone else he loved or was ever in love with and he knew that she was a victim of circumstance. With what she had been through in her life she had every right to be acting the way House did but instead she chose not to be miserable and went for the better option of trying to improve herself. That would keep him with her for a very long time, no matter what happened.

* * *

After reviewing the tox screening and seeing that House was nearly off the charts with the narcotics in his system she had no fucking idea how she was going to explain that levels like that were normal in him. Mostly because they were so fucking abnormal for anyone, and he was actually moving around and talking, not slurring his words and pissing his pants like he should be. That man's tolerance levels were off the chart. Dangerously so. She hadn't realized how bad it had gotten.

"Those levels are almost twice the legal limit. You want to tell me he needs that much for his leg?" The guy said to her, she hated him, he had such an authoritative cop tone of voice. Though he seemed kind of stupid and if she could figure out some bullshit medical explanation for this he'd probably buy it.

"Well it's just his narcotic levels that are above the legal limit right?" She asked, motioning to the numbers on the papers she was handed. She was right, he did have alcohol in his system but not too much to be legally driving a vehicle.

"That's correct ma'am." The guy said. Ugh, now she really wanted to punch him. She was not nearly old enough to be a ma'am to anyone and she was pretty sure this guy was older than her so he had no right to be saying that. What was his badge number? She wanted to file a complaint. She wanted to, but she never would, that was just her first idea that helped her calm down and not actually punch him.

"Well when a guy like him, and yes he his prescribed it regularly, has a drink it can sometimes throw off the narcotic level reading in a rapid blood test. We could do a normal one but it would take days to come back and since he doesn't exactly have a history of DUIs I really don't think you will want to waste man hours and tons of paperwork pursuing this one. He's harmless, and I'll keep an eye on him." She said, "Besides, you talked to him before, he was alert, calm, not slurring his words. I assure you it's just the alcohol messing up the levels, they aren't actually this high." She knew she was lying through her teeth on this one. None of what she was saying was true, alcohol didn't screw up readings like that, but this idiot cop was buying it hook line and sinker. Her brain was screaming at her to tell the truth, to let House get his comeuppance for once, for her not to save him, but there she was doing it.

"Alright, you would know how these tests work better than us. If it happens again we won't hesitate to throw the book at him though." The guy said. She smiled at him slightly, hoping that the smile didn't look too forced or overly fake because she really just wanted to call him a pig and tell him to fuck off.

"Thank you, I promise it won't. I'll drive him home myself." She said. He nodded and then left with his partner. Luckily House wasn't around to hear her bullshit reason, they had taken her to a private room because any time she tried to talk to the cops in front of him he wouldn't let her get a word in edge wise. She was trying to defend his pathetic ass and he wouldn't let her. She needed a moment to compose herself before going in to talk to him. She stopped in the lounge and got a coffee, took a few sips, and headed back to the private room they had put him in because he was annoying everyone else. He truly was a brat who always had to get his way on everything.

"House--"

"Well that dick came and uncuffed me before warning me to watch myself and leaving so it seems you solved the case. Good work funbags." He smiled at her and laid back in the bed. His mangled wrist still hadn't been tended to, it was just in the really bad splint they would have put it in while he was in the ambulance. She frowned at the funbags comment.

"House you are really fucked up right now. I don't begin to understand how you are this aware, what made you think you could operate a motorcycle, or even why you haven't passed out from pain." She came over to his bed, "Once again I lied for you, once again I saved your ass, and all you can do is call me insulting names and act like you deserve it." She looked down at him, completely pissed off at his behavior.

"It's what you do Cuddy, you fix things, it's in your nature." He told her and then tried to wave her off but she wasn't going to be dismissed that easily, not yet.

"Really? Sure changed your tone from a few weeks ago when I was the queen of butchering legs and ruining lives. All of this because Wilson fell in love with Leila. You are being a horrible bastard to everyone. You keep acting like this, you aren't only going to lose him, but you are going to lose your job, and as much as you want to pretend like you don't care, you will lose me as well. Take time to reevaluate what the fuck you are doing to your life and the lives of everyone around you. I am done feeling sorry for you and protecting you. Find someone else to use as a doormat, because clearly, Wilson and I are close to finished." She said and then stormed out of there before she could hear him say anything else to her.

The closer she got to her car, the more shaky she became until she was in tears behind the wheel. She didn't want to have to say that to him, and she doubted he'd even remember that she had come morning when most of the junk was out of his system. She was tired. Tired of fighting with him, tired of taking his abuse, and tired of being so hopelessly in love with him that she already knew that every last word about him losing her if he didn't stop was as just as much as a lie as she told the cops.


	6. Chapter 6

"My parents thought that money equated to love." Leila blurted out over breakfast the next morning, "They never paid attention to me unless I won an award or made the honor role. I had to be the best at everything I did all the time, never not perfect, because if I wasn't I went completely unnoticed. The reason I am so professional and perfect looking is because I taught myself I had to be or no one would care about me. I am not actually perfect nor do I thinking being perfect matters that much, I just lived for any small second of praise I got from my mother and father. If that makes sense." Wilson looked up from the paper he was kind of half reading. Leila had been up early, she had puked once from the alcohol but seemed pretty fine today. He had been up with her and gotten her water and aspirin when she asked for it. He figured she just rehydrated herself really well before falling back asleep because she wasn't showing signs of a hang over.  
  
"They ignored you?" He asked, "That's almost worse than if they yelled at you all the time, right?" He asked.  
  
"About equal. It was still negative energy I got from them. Even with the praise I don't think it was ever genuine. They just had this idea that they needed to make all this money so I'd be okay when they died. It turned into a greedy obsession and I was caught up in the middle of it. By the time they could stop, and the money was pouring in at a steady rate I was back in the states in college and rather upset with them. I don't actually think I was ever in their plans, or I was but then they freaked out and decided that they needed to be billionaires to take care of me. I'm not sure. Just when I was starting to forgive them and get close with them again the car accident took them." She said and came over to the table holding out a paid of scissors.  
  
"Uh what's this about?" He asked looking at her. She laughed a bit, a very light hearted laugh.  
  
"I want you to cut my hair. Not too much, and I'll go in after work and get it fixed so it looks right, I'm going to keep it up anyway but it's symbolic of something." She said to him. Her hair was just in a low pony tail now, hanging over her back. Her hair was so perfect, silky, and soft, how could he cut it.  
  
"Leila, I don't think I'm the right guy to be cutting hair." He told her and reached to stroke her hair gently. She sighed and turned to look at him.  
  
"Look I know it's weird and sounds all sorts of impulsive, but like I said it's symbolic to me. You aren't cutting a foot off either. I'll even show you where to cut. Can you do this for me? I can explain why if you want." She told him. He was interested in hearing why he was the one who needed to do this. Her hair reached down to her butt, her nicely toned butt. Actually he just wanted to reach out and squeeze it right now, and he could, and she wouldn't get upset because they were a couple and he was happy with that.  
  
"Well I think I'm going to need to hear the story before doing it." He laughed a bit and pulled her into his lap. She laughed too and pulled him into a gentle kiss.  
  
"There's a reason my hair is so long. The last time my mother brushed it was when I was 8 years old. It was long then too, not this long though. Part of me clung to the fact that though she stopped brushing my hair, the ends of it were always last touched by her when she sat with me and told me stories as she brushed it that final time. Yes that's kid logic and as I grew up I realized it was just a symbol. Something I held onto. I used to twist that hair around my finger when I got upset and it comforted me. I'm sure what she touched has long since fallen out now, but I kept the length to remind me that at some point someone was taking care of me. I want you to cut it to symbolize I've let go of that and found someone new that I know will love me as much as I love him." She said, her voice kind of starting to choke up a bit and she let it. She hadn't put that mask on again since she dropped it last night.  
  
He was incredibly touched by this, that was an interesting story and he could now see why she wanted him to cut it first and then get it fixed later. It was her way of kind of sealing the deal in her mind that they were going to be a couple. It was weird, he couldn't deny it, but lots of things about her were weird, and that made her the incredibly interesting person he had come to love. He smiled at her and moved her into a gentle, loving kiss.  
  
"Okay, show me where to cut." He said. She smiled at him and grabbed her pony tail and pulled her over her shoulder. She marked off about five inches of it, grabbing it with her hand making it into almost a second pony tail and held it out to him. "That much?" He asked.  
  
"What? You wanna start controlling how long my hair is now too?" She smiled at him.  
  
"Actually no I was kind of...hoping for that. I mean I like long hair but yours is really, really, long. I am just happy you want to cut off about the length I thought would be perfect. I know girls and their hair, especially when it's long so it's just...really great we both thought the same thing." He told her. She laughed a bit.  
  
"I really do love you James." She said and took a deep breath as he put the scissors to her hair. "It's fine, really, I wouldn't ask you to do something I hadn't thought about first. Think about me, you know this." She laughed a bit. He smiled at her and that was all it took, he snipped it off and because she was still holding it, she held it up. She looked at it and smiled.  
  
"It's going to look bad, I'm not a stylist." He told her, still kind of worried she'd have second thoughts about this now that it was over.  
  
"No, it's perfect. Thank you." She said and hugged him tightly. She was so glad he had done this for her, because now it felt like she could let go of things and get a fresh start with him. She hadn't even asked Mark to do this for her. With him it was entirely different and she wanted to change, she wanted to let go, she wanted to stop hating the past and where she came from and just live in the moment. This symbolized that, at least to her and it made her very happy. "Let me throw out this old hair and make a quick breakfast. Though I don't think Cuddy is going to hate us if we are a bit late today, considering what House pulled yesterday." She nuzzled her face against his, he could feel the hot wetness of her tears but he was sure they were happy tears and he was correct about this. She was insanely happy in that moment.  
  
"I don't think Cuddy would hate us if we took the day off." He told her and then kissed her cheek before she got up. "Though that might just make her life worse, having to deal with House all alone today."  
  
"That man is a dick. How are you even still friends with him?" She asked, "I don't mean WHY because friendships are always unique and interesting. I mean how. How has he not done something to push you completely away by now? Maybe it's just me and my natural distrust of everyone before I met you, that someone like him would have been out of my life very fast." She said and then went and threw the ponytail she was holding in the trash before going through the fridge so she could start breakfast.  
  
"I ask myself the same thing all the time. If he keeps this up he's not going to have me as a friend any more. He's on thin ice. What he's setting out to do is make you upset enough to leave. I'm sure he thought it had worked until you came to confront him. Even though it didn't work, the idea that he would go through such lengths to make sure I didn't have anyone but him until he gets Cuddy is sickening. So if he doesn't stop I will cut him out, I don't want to see you get hurt." He said with certainty. "Keep in mind I would never tell you not to be friends with someone, because you are an adult and it's up to you, I'm not a control freak to that level with other people. I just need you to understand that should he not calm down and you stand by his side it's only going to hurt you more. No, that's not a threat of me leaving either, because I will stay there and continue to heal your emotional wounds, but taking that kind of abuse day after day isn't healthy for anyone, and I want you around for a very long time." She set some eggs down on the counter and smiled at him, "Now, how about we stop discussing him and have breakfast?" She smiled.  
  
"Sounds like a plan to me." He replied. In that moment he could never explain to anyone how deeply in love he was with her. He just knew he was, and this wasn't something that was going to end any time soon.

* * *

Cuddy was surprised as anyone when House showed up for work the next day, cast and all. Though this just gave him an excuse to either take more vicodin or even heavier pain killers, which was probably what he had wanted in the first place. He didn't say anything to her as he came in, he just passed the front desk, keeping his eyes averted from her. He grabbed some mail and then walked off. She was worried about him, his freak out over Leila probably would have been less had she not as the woman to be in charge of him in the first place. Though if she went and took that back Wilson would have never gotten closer to her like he had, and Leila looked happier than she had ever seen her, taking back what she had done would have stalled two people's lives and maybe even stopped true love.  
  
It was time he woke up and stopped acting like such a child any way. Maybe this was his wake up call, she shouldn't feel so horrible for him. He had to wake up and learn a lesson because no one was trying to teach it to him before. She needed to stop trying to protect him from everything and from himself, she needed to let him hit rock bottom so he'd ask for help. Though with someone like House, hitting rock bottom could mean drowning quite a few people with him along the way.

* * *

House entered the classroom where his gaggle of idiot students was there waiting for him. The one he had fired the other day but had returned with his number flipped was the center of attention with his laptop. The cut throat bitch and the tragic brunette were the closest to him, looking at the screen, and the rest were crowded behind him. He sighed and quickly grabbed the roster for the class and looked at the numbers by the names so he could address them. He had taken two percocet before coming in so his vision was fuzzy and it took him a moment to get the names right.  
  
"Kutner." He snapped when he finally figured out who the guy was. He looked up, "What's the big deal? Found some good porn?" He asked and then headed up the steps to see what the big deal was as well. None of them ever looked this interested in anything, so it must not be work related.  
  
"That email you sent out yesterday with the picture of Doctor Dawson and her ex boyfriend. He was Detective Mark Costas. He was involved with a huge drug bust and mafia case about ten years ago and has been MIA ever since. I'm sure it was that guy." Kunter said said then turned the computer to show House what was on the screen. It was a picture of Mark at an awards ceremony where he was being promoted to lieutenant. That was the guy, there was no mistaking him. House had been right, he was a cop. He smiled slightly when his brain processed the term "MIA". This was amazing news for him. He would track that guy down and bring him back. It couldn't be that hard. Leila would be so happy she'd forget all about Wilson. Though he had yet to realize she had moved on far before she met Wilson, but his barbiturate roasted brain didn't think that far. It never did.  
  
"Good to know." He said and then turned the computer back towards Kutner.  
  
"Why is that good to know?" Amber nearly demanded of him. He only remembered her name because he had looked up her number when he looked up Kutner's. He honestly still didn't give a fuck about tragic brunette. He was pretty sure that this Kutner guy and the one they called cut throat bitch were going to get the fellowship, but keeping up this charade gave him an excuse to not do all of his work and take time out to mess with Leila and ensure that Wilson would be his friend forever.  
  
"Because it is, a lot of things are good to know, like how anyone who tells Leila I said this is fired. Understood?" He asked and pointed at all of them menacingly with his good hand. Luckily the wrist he had broken hadn't been the one he held the cane in, or else he would have been forced to come in using a wheelchair. He had thought about skipping today too, but now he was overly happy that he hadn't. He wouldn't have figured this out so quickly had he stayed in bed and remained stoned like he wanted to.  
  
"What happened to your wrist?" The number Thirteen asked him as if it was any of her stupid business. Yeah that girl really did survive on drama, so he decided to deflect.  
  
"Masturbation accident. Got a new subscription to naughty nurses with big jugs dot com last night." He told her and headed back down to the head of the classroom. He started to go through the stack of files that were waiting for him. They had just solved another case, prompting him to terminate another two people, the class size was dwindling. He wished there was an excuse to keep them even longer but pretty soon he'd have to make a choice. Though he basically already had, he liked jerking people around, that's what he did.  
  
"That site's not that good." Kutner said with a roll of his eyes causing everyone to look at him oddly. House smiled, he liked how sometimes that guy had no filter on his speech function. Now he was sure that guy was hired, it would make him easy to work with because he'd just say what was on his mind the majority of the time. Of course now everyone was looking at him oddly, except Amber who snickered and shook her head. "What? Like none of you watch porn." He added. This whole exchange just cemented in House's brain that he had made the right final choice even if none of them would know it for another few weeks. He was worried about thirteen though, he knew she was going to go and tell Leila. The rest of them just hadn't looked that interested, and he knew the only reason Amber had outright demanded why it was important to him was because that's how she was, not because she had some sort of soft spot for bitchy psychiatrists, though her calling attention to it had set off thirteen's drama radar. She was going to go rustle shit up so she could feed on other people's angst, she would have to be disposed of as well. She'd be easy though, her life was such a tangled mess of cliche drama he could pull one thread and unravel her completely, she was the weak, teen drama version of Leila. She hadn't had to make herself as strong at the head of psych bitch, so her undoing would be fast.  
  
"Well can we stop talking about Kutner's sex life and focus on choosing another case?" House asked all of them.  
  
"YES." Amber said loudly. He smiled slightly, he liked her. Maybe this day wasn't going to be as entirely horrible as he thought. He had a new mission, destroy thirteen, find Mark, and tear Leila away from sucking the life out of Wilson. It energized him more than anything. If he could do all of this before Leila told someone that she knew he broke into her office everything would be coming up roses.

* * *

Around lunch, Leila was headed into the cafeteria. This was a day Wilson couldn't meet her for lunch, which she was okay with because she had left to get her hair fixed and cut a bit more before now. She had looked at her schedule earlier and saw that her last appointment before lunch had been cancelled and had taken the time to go get her hair evened out and styled. It was now just down to her mid back and she had it completely down, the only way it was pulled back was a partial ponytail to keep it from falling in her face while she worked. She absolutely loved it like this as well, it was going to be so much more easy to manage and she wouldn't have to spend so much time putting it up every morning or brushing it out when it was wet.  
  
She sat down after grabbing a salad and a can of coke and opened her iPad case so she could read while she ate. However, choosing to eat there instead of her office would turn out to be a rather bad mistake, or a good one. She opened her coke when someone tapped her on the shoulder. It was rough enough that she already knew it was House and she rolled her eyes. That man couldn't leave her alone for a moment. She had no idea what the hell it was, was he jealous of his friend cause he got to fuck her? Or was he jealous of her because she got to fuck his friend?  
  
"What?" She asked, not even having to turn and look at him to know it was him. That rough touch said it all.  
  
"You might want to go down to the morgue, Cuddy's about to call you down there in a second anyway." House said to her as if he knew something she didn't,   
well she knew he did and why he wasn't willing to spill it irked her. She didn't want to play his game only to find out he was probably lying.  
  
"Yeah I'm going to willingly walk into some sort of half assed trap you set up for me, not going to happen." She said, "Nice try House but--" Before she could finish her pager went off. It was her emergency one for when a patient was having a psychotic break. It was also Cuddy's code. Her eyes went wide. Oh God what had he done? She shut her iPad quickly and stood up.  
  
"Told you. When it comes to matters of mental health, why would I lie to you?" He asked her smugly. She growled at him, whatever had just happened, was his doing and she knew it. He wouldn't look so damn smug had that not been the case.  
  
"What did you do, House?" She demanded, "Who did you hurt now? I swear to God if you--"  
  
"Why is it your whole life you are told 'tell the truth' and 'honesty is the best policy' if all that happens is you getting in trouble. I swear, try to help some people and get the third degree." He rolled his eyes and started to walk off. Her pager went off again. She knew that he didn't mean this situation right now, she knew he meant the entire situation, of him exposing what he thought she was lying about to the entire hospital. She didn't have time to confront him more, if she was getting continuous pages it meant it was a bad situation and he could be dealt with later.

* * *

She rushed down to the morgue, the students of House's that had already passed her really basic psych exam were crowed around the door to the morgue looking in, it was either locked or they had been told to get out. She also didn't know why they were all crowded their either because of the fact that a shade had been used to block looking in. Human behavior in these situations was always interesting but she didn't have time to deconstruct it.  
  
"What's going on in there?" She demanded, grabbing the nearest woman who happened to be blond. She was incredibly pretty and those eyes. She didn't know she had just grabbed Amber, she was just struck by her eyes in the moment, expressive and concerned but some how vindicated and relieved as if to say 'one down 6 more to go, I have this in the bag' it was kind of eerie and yet still sexy to her at the same time.  
  
"Number thirteen kind of went bat shit insane screaming about how she's showing symptoms and her life is over, no one actually knows what she means by this." Amber told her. Leila, blinked a few times. The Huntingtons? Oh God. Leila had been almost positive the girl didn't have early onset, though she had done the test and it came up positive and that's one of the first things Leila had been able to ferret out. What in her right mind was telling her she was showing symptoms though? Leila had told her repeatedly that while she wasn't showing symptoms it was best if she pursued everything she wanted to in her life so when it came down to that she'd be fulfilled and happy. That she had a long way to go before that point and maybe it was better to not try to get a long term fellowship somewhere.  
  
"Shit." She breathed and let go of Amber. She tried the door, it was unlocked, which just meant they had been told to leave. She scurried inside to see Cuddy who was standing across from Remy who was in a corner holding a surgical scalpel. She had already made a few preliminary cuts on her arm, and not superficial either, those cuts were meant to harm. It just seemed the girl was so convinced she was showing symptoms she was actually showing symptoms and though she had tried to get her wrist it was impossible for her now because of the symptoms that had falsely manifested in her brain. What had done this to her? The girl was unstable to begin with, all it would have taken was a gentle push in this direction. She noticed Cuddy kept trying to get to her, so she could take the scalpel away but Remy would just jab it in her direction wildly, and Leila knew Cuddy knew better than to get hurt.  
Remy was getting weak though. She was sobbing, her skin was snow white. There was blood, a lot of it, enough that Leila could smell it once she came within five feet of the girl. there were smears on her face and it stained her white jacket. The sleeve of the arm where the cuts were had been rolled up but the other sleeve was down. She was twitching and jerking a bit, much like someone with full blown Huntingtons would do.  
  
"Remy..." Leila said slowly, "We talked about this, you weren't showing symptoms. I told you it would be a while before that." She started slowly. Cuddy looked over at her, it became apparent that Remy hadn't been talking and Cuddy had little clue about what this freak out was about.  
  
"Symptoms of what?" Cuddy asked.  
  
"Huntingtons. She has it, but it's not early onset. She was extremely worried during our session." Leila said, "Something triggered her into manifesting them. She's scared. Why did you page me? Security might be better for this." That was true, security had things they could take her down with, better measures in   
place. Leila was not even close to being able to subdue her if she had a fucking scalpel.  
  
"BECAUSE! I NEEDED YOU HERE! YOU SAID I WAS FINE! YOU LIED!" Remy screamed at her. Leila sighed, she didn't even know who gave this girl a medical degree with as fucked up as her brain was. Unless the emotional instability came with her age and the days after day of worrying about the Huntingtons.   
  
"Why did you lie? You said I was fine! Look at me!" She screamed and her arm jerked again and she made another slash over her bare arm. Leila wanted to wince and turn away but that was not an option she had, so she let Cuddy do it instead.  
  
"Think about this Remy. If you were showing actual symptoms your speech would be affected as well. It would be hard to talk. You are communicating with us just fine." Leila said, "Your face isn't tightening, you aren't stuttering or slurring, you are just very, very upset." The girl twitched and jerked again but a far less violent one. Her hand started to shake, but not because it was trying to mirror symptoms of the neurological disease, but because she was weak and now losing even more blood.  
  
"Then why I am I shaking like this?" She demanded, "I'm shaking, I can't control it, I can't control anything! You are lying to me! There's exemptions to every rule!" She screamed. Leila took in another deep breath and let it out slowly.  
  
"That's true, you are shaking. This is the morgue and it's cold in here, also you are really hurt and have lost a lot of blood. As a doctor you know what that would mean for your body." She was able to take a step closer without Remy trying to swing the knife at her like she had been towards Cuddy each time she approached. Remy's shaky hand started to lower the knife but she was gripping it like grim death still. "Remy I am not in the business of lying to anyone. I'm a psychiatrist remember? If anything I tell you the truth and help you cope with it in a safe and secure manner. My ethics would not be good if I lied to people."  
  
Cuddy watched this, the way Leila spoke, the calm and collected manner she had, even the tone and pitch of her voice was incredibly soothing. She had never seen the woman actively apply psychology to anyone she just knew that patients were always extremely happy with her methods and now she was beginning to see why. Though the woman was young she really knew how to deal with horrible situations.  
  
"But---but I....it doesn't matter. There is no cure, it won't go away. If I die now I do it on my own terms." She said, tears falling. She moved to wipe them away just smearing blood over her face as she did. As hard as it wasn't to believe Leila completely understood this, as she had a moment like this before, when she was a teenager. This was really immature behavior, quite irrational, though it just spoke miles for the state of mind Remy had previously been in.  
  
"That's true. I understand that. You make a lot of sense. Though you could die now, on your own terms, completely miserable and knowing you never accomplished all you wanted. Or you could give me a chance to help you and ensure your life would be as amazing as you could possibly make it until that point where it does become hopeless. I wasn't lying, you have quite a bit of time here." She said, taking a few more steps. She kept her hands in front of her, showing she wasn't a threat. It was the way you'd approach a dog who was unsure of what you wanted to do, the same body language. It worked well on the primitive fight or flight center of the brain when someone was this panicked. Calm voice, non threatening body language. She had to make sure another cut wasn't made. She hoped to fuck Cuddy was getting ready to call for help or Remy would end up bleeding out.  
  
"What's the point though?" She asked softly, the hand with the knife lowering completely, she was still gripping it tight but now it was just hanging by her side, kind of just swaying there. The light in her eyes starting to flicker gently. The girl was going to pass out.  
  
"The point is to go out knowing that as pointless as this life may seem, you made the point you needed to." Leila said seriously. Cuddy felt like maybe Leila was speaking from experience but it seemed to be working so it didn't exactly matter. Remy was starting to calm. "You don't want to die, not like this, not right now." Leila shook her head slightly, trying to subconsciously influence the panicked young woman. Remy looked at her, the twitching and involuntary spasms had halted completely, now she she was just shuddering like crazy due to the blood loss and temperature in there. She took the scalpel she was holding and turned it, so the handle would be in Leila's direction, like she was trying to hand it over to her.  
  
"I don't want to die." She sobbed and with great effort held the weapon out. Leila took it gently and once it wasn't anywhere near Remy she tossed it across the room. Remy collapsed into her and hugged her as best she could though her life force was draining out of her rather quickly.  
  
"GET HELP!" Leila screamed at Cuddy. Why the woman hadn't moved yet wasn't exactly a mystery. All of this must have panicked and confused her, but no one was in too much danger any more except Remy and this required more attention than the two of them could give, "DON'T LET THE OTHERS IN HERE EITHER!" Cuddy just nodded stupidly and ran out of there. Leila let Remy cling to her and then eased them both down to the floor. She was now basically soaked in blood herself, including her newly cut hair, but she didn't notice nor did she care. She had to make sure the girl didn't die. She reached behind her and nabbed the first thing she could get her hand on to grab. Luckily it was an unopened pack of gauze.  
  
"I don't want to die like this, don't let me die like this, please." Remy begged weakly. Leila quickly opened the gauze and used it to tie a tight tourniquet above the wounds to slow the bleeding. This wouldn't work nearly as well as an actual tourniquet but it could mean the difference between life and death. The girl hadn't gotten an artery but Leila counted four incredibly deep cuts on her forearm, one dangerously close to her wrist where she would have opened the vein. She had lucked out that the girl thought she was so symptomatic it had made it virtually impossible for her to actually get what she had been aiming for. Once the tourniquet was tied Leila went to tightly wrapping up Remy's arm and then applying pressure with her hands to the worst of the cuts to make sure things would be slowed as much as they could til help got there.  
  
"What made you think you were showing symptoms? I know you were worried before but that's all it was? What pushed you?" She asked softly, in her heart she knew the answer. She knew it had been House's doing, something he had said. That man could mind fuck even her, someone like Remy would be an open and shut case for him and she dreaded hearing the name but she knew it was the case. Remy looked up at her, her eyes wide and scared but not focused directly at Leila but behind her. She opened her mouth and then the light in her eyes was gone and she had passed out. Leila turned her head and saw House there.  
  
"Maybe you shouldn't have cleared her to come back to class." He said in a snide tone of voice. Leila felt her stomach flip at that comment. It was him. Why had he done this? What had it accomplished? And how the fuck could he stand there like he was the victor. His eyes were off, too glossy, pupils too dilated. He was stoned. Just when she felt the terror slipping past the psychiatrist mask she had put on, the door burst open with a stretcher, some nurses, Cuddy, and help. She was able to fight it back again, to go back into trauma room mode. What was important now was making sure Remy was stable. What was done was done and she already had enough evidence on House to put every last nail in his coffin. It wasn't going anywhere and she knew it so it could wait. She stood up and helped get Remy on the stretcher.  
  
"House get the hell out of here!" Cuddy yelled at him, neglecting to tell Leila that the girl had become even more crazy the moment House showed up to confront her. Cuddy wasn't exactly aware of why that was the case, but she also knew House must have been a catalyst in this. However to hand over that information to Leila would mean a certain death sentence for House. Why she couldn't bring herself to speak this after he had almost cost someone their life she didn't know, there was still something in her that believed she could fix him and that it could be taken care of it with enough back stories and lies.  
Leila rushed out of there with them and back to the ER, leaving House behind. When they got to the trauma room, and past the whispers from the rest of House's defunct class of possible employees, she was stopped from going in to help by Cuddy quickly.  
  
"You are too involved in this, you won't do her any good with the state you are in. You need to get cleaned up and take a few deep breaths. Find Wilson if that's what you need. I'll make sure she's okay." Cuddy told her softly. She was surprised to see at that point, the stone cold mask on Leila's face had melted. That she was some how becoming more human and emotional. This was either good because she had already started to do it, or this was bad because House really was getting to her. She had no idea, all she knew was she had never seen that level of emotion on Leila's face, ever and it was bothersome.  
  
"Don't let this happen. Don't let her die." Leila said softly. "Please." Cuddy nodded.  
  
"Ultimately you were a huge help in preventing this, you got her to stop, she handed the knife over to you willingly. I think she's going to fight instead of give in because of what you said. Don't walk away from this defeated, no matter what the outcome." Cuddy told her. She nodded and her lower lip trembled.  
  
"Thank you." She whispered and turned and headed off. Everything started to become slowed down. The walls melting, her heard pounding, her stomach churning. She didn't even make it to the bathroom before vomiting, as the coppery smell of blood surrounded her. She did get to the nearest biohazard waste bin though. It was like her own body wanted to reject every organ inside of it. Yet under it all, she found she wasn't ready to report House yet because she wanted to help him. As backwards and stupid and fucked up as the notion was, the psychiatrist in her recognized he was about to go off the deep end like Remy just had, but in a far different and more vicious way. Her stupid oath to harm none won over her vengeful side for the moment and she decided it may just be best to wait until she could write up a game plan. She didn't even realize that she was about to pass out until she felt her face hit the cold, tile floor under her.


	7. Chapter 7

"House!" Cuddy yelled as she entered his office. He was asleep, or passed out with his head in his arms on his desk. She was sure all his scheming had tired him out but she was done. He was going to listen to her. He had ruined Leila, pissed of Wilson, and she knew he had some involvement with Remy though no one had outright said it. She was pissed off. He didn't even look up at her, he just kind of grunted and made a dismissive motion with his hand. The lights in there were off and the blinds were closed. "NO! NOT THIS TIME!" She yelled and then flicked the lights on. She went behind him and opened the blinds.  
  
"You dumb bitch." He muttered loud enough for her to hear but still didn't pick up his head to say it.  
  
"How much damn vicodin are you on?" She asked him and grabbed him by his short hair and pulled his head up so he was forced to confront her. He groaned and tried to bat her away like a confused cat. She let go of him and folded her arms over her chest. "What did you do to Dr. Hadley?"  
  
"Nothing. She did it to herself. I didn't make her go crazy. Maybe your incessant nagging did it. I know it's about to push me over the edge." He muttered and his eyes squinted, trying to adjust to the light in there. Why did everything seem so bright? Narcotic withdrawal could be a bitch, and as long as she was standing there he wouldn't get away with taking them, which was what he was working up the energy to do before she came in there and started yelling like a crazed banshee.  
  
"House, Leila knows something she's not telling, and Dr. Hadley hasn't woken up yet, lord even knows if she'll say something half way comprehensible after what she's been through. I know you are pulling the strings. If I could prove it, you'd be out of a job. This is your last warning. Cut it out." She said seriously, she wasn't even sure how much he heard with how distant his eyes were at that point.  
  
"Well even then it comes down to he said she said and no one ever won a case with that." He said smugly, "Besides I didn't do anything wrong. That girl would have had a break down eventually, why are you blaming it on me?" He asked and reached for the bottle of aspirin that he was keeping the percocet in. He got up and started to hobble to the conference room next to his office to get a bottle of water to take them. Of course she followed, why didn't she just admit she had it bad for him so they could fuck and get it over with?  
  
"This isn't funny. This is your ass on the line. When are you going to wake up and realize that?" She asked him. He looked at her and dumped three of the pills into his hand before downing then all quickly with some large gulps of water. "Those weren't aspirin."  
  
"And you aren't nice." He said, "There we've established two truths." He said and then started to head back to his office. She seriously wanted to punch him at that point. Why hadn't Leila said anything at that point, about this, or to Cuddy. He was sure she knew, what was she holding back for? The only thing he could think was that she was scared of him and he had once again regained control. That wasn't even close to being the case.  
  
"She'll get to a point where she's done protecting you as well, mark my words." Cuddy said, "That woman is good, very good with psychology. I wouldn't want to get on her bad side." She warned, but he just laughed at her and sat back in his chair.  
  
"Maybe you wouldn't, but I'll be just fine." He said, "Can you leave now? I have a good dream I need to get back to." He laid his head back on the desk and in his arms. Cuddy growled loudly and threw her hands up in frustration. There was tension building, and pretty heavily at that. The rope was getting tighter and tighter and threatening to snap at any moment. She didn't want to be there when it did, but some how she knew she would. She could only steel herself away and prepare for it.

* * *

It was nearly time for Cuddy to be leaving. In fact she was closing up everything on her computer when Leila came in there with Wilson. She looked unhappy, very tired, and still rather ill. She had changed into some scrubs from her dress that had been covered in blood and her hair was damp because she had showered after she had rescued Remy from that. There was a small mark on the side of her face where it had hit the tile when she had fallen and passed out. She was done protecting him.  
  
"We need to talk." She said slowly. Wilson looked equally as pissed off and Cuddy knew this was the moment. The moment things would come undone and she would have to write the pink slip for Greg House.  
  
"What is this about?" She asked, "I already talked to House, he assured me of--"  
  
"I assured you of nothing. That little bitch has nothing on me." House said, coming into the office. Leila turned to look at him, good, he should be here for this, she was going to verbally eviscerate him.  
  
"I have everything on you and you know it." She breathed and came right up to him, she stared at him coldly and didn't show an ounce of fear, though Cuddy thought showing fear might be a good idea because House looked to be teetering on the brink of his own sanity.  
  
"Then spill it." He said, his voice was eerily calm and intimidating. Enough so that a chill passed through Wilson's body and then Cuddy's as if it was contagious. Leila smiled.  
  
"Those bank statements, that you got from a 'source' you claim it was. The ones you scanned were not copies, they were originals. Only one person has them, and as they are in that person's name, that would be me, Leila Dawson. Now, had you scanned copies you may have gotten away with that bullshit 'source' line. But I knew from that moment what had happened. You found them in that box that doesn't look like one after you STOLE THE SPARE KEYS TO MY OFFICE FROM THE COFFEE CUP ON MY DESK!" She screamed in his face. House's face remained unchanged, his eyes didn't. Cuddy saw the intense anger flash into them and then flicker out, it didn't mean he didn't stop being angry though.  
  
"Prove it." He sneered. He knew he was caught though, everyone in the fucking room knew that. Leila laughed, she laughed long and hard.  
  
"Prove it? PROVE IT!? Could you be any more dense House? If those were original documents and I own them and they are only kept in one place and I know EXACTLY WHERE I KEEP THEM AT ALL TIMES you are SO FUCKING BUSTED!" She screamed and then the unthinkable happened. He punched her, in the face. There was a loud crack and she fell like a sack of bricks to the floor.  
  
"HOUSE!" Wilson yelled and immediately got down to help her, she was out cold.  
  
"HOUSE!" Cuddy screamed right after she processed what had just happened. He not only committed a felony by breaking into Leila's office and stealing her documents, he had just assaulted her. "YOU JUST...FUCK!" She screamed, "THAT'S IT! YOU ARE OUT OF HERE! FIRED! TERMINATED! AND BETTER WATCH FOR THE COPS BECAUSE SHE'LL SEND THEM!" She screamed.  
  
"No she won't, because she's weak like the rest of you. I didn't want this job anyway." He grumbled and turned to leave.  
  
"You can't just let him leave!" Wilson yelled at Cuddy. She knew she couldn't either. She raced to the phone and called for security. With as stoned as House was and also with that cane he could move as fast as he wanted and still not make it out of there without being apprehended. Unless he magically grew wings and the ability to fly he was fucked.  
  
"Calling security Cuddy? Really?" House asked, turning to watch her when he sensed her hurried motion behind him. "Where am I going to go after this? You all know where I live." He said like everyone was stupid. Cuddy ignored him and ordered security to her office anyway.  
  
"We also know you are an insane flight risk and will take off to Canada or Mexico if we just let you walk out." Wilson said, moving hair out of Leila's face, her cheek was broken there was no doubt about that with the crack he heard and the way her eye was now swelling up.  
  
"Wilson go get her some ice, I'll stay with her until she wakes up." Cuddy said once she was off the phone with security. She was amazed House wasn't making some sort of break for it. Though he probably knew it was pointless, either that or he wanted to be caught. She really had no idea where he thought he was going after this anyway. He must have anticipated that Leila would tell on him and that it would be a bad move on his part to continue on with what he was doing. Wilson nodded at Cuddy, glared at House, and left quickly to get Leila an ice pack. Cuddy heard him tell security House was still in there once he stepped outside.  
  
"House, you are in a lot of trouble. You punched her in front of two witnesses, no one is going to give you a break this time. Especially not me." Cuddy said before security entered. House shrugged. She wondered if he was too stoned to even have the ability to comprehend what he had just done. She just was done, at the end of her rope. If he didn't care about his life, then neither did she.  
  
"Get him out of here and hold him. Call the police and have him charged with assault." Cuddy said. She was only holding off on the breaking and entering until Leila could provide more proof. She didn't doubt the woman had it but she didn't want to jump to conclusions until she was confronted with everything. The guards nodded and led a still rather silent and zombified House out of the office. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she knew none of this was good.

* * *

Leila was moved to a room shortly there after. They were going to need to X-ray her face to find out how bad it was, and for the police records. She had come too, but Wilson had given her pain medications and she had gone right back out again in a matter of moments. Cuddy didn't blame her, the woman was emotionally and physically exhausted from all of this. Wilson met with her in the hall after bringing back coffee for himself and her. She took her cup gratefully and sipped it gently.  
  
"This is completely my fault. I should have just trusted that House would be fine without her kind of supervising him." Cuddy said softly. She did feel horrible, and like she had put Leila in this dangerous position unnecessarily. It wasn't exactly fair what she had done and now she was regretting it with every fiber of her being.  
  
"No one could have foreseen this. I mean House is House, he could have easily just deemed her as a non-threat. Not even sure why he hated her from the word GO to begin with. He didn't even seem to know who she was." Wilson explained, "You made the right move though, because her and I are in love and I don't think he can break that no matter what he does."  
  
"I saw the way she looked at you and reached for you when she woke up in there. I know she had no plans on leaving you. This is killing him though." She sighed and looked down at her coffee, she needed to tell Wilson how she had lied for him to get him out of the DUI. Had she not the whole situation with Dr. Hadley may have never happened which meant House's assault against Leila would have also never happened. She was at least responsible for that.  
  
"What?" He asked her, he'd known her long enough to know when she wanted to get something off her chest but was holding back.  
  
"Did House tell you how he broke his wrist?" She asked slowly. Wilson had barely even noticed that. He had been avoiding House all day and the first time he had even seen the cast was when he had come into Cuddy's office. Then had not been the time to address it though, and after he had punched Leila it had been the furthest thing from his mind. Let the asshole be in more pain, Leila was suffering enough.  
  
"I honestly didn't even see him today until the moment he came into your office after Leila and I had gotten there. Why?" He asked and then motioned for her to go and sit with him on a near by bench where there weren't people milling around.  
  
"The cops wanted to charge him with a DUI last night. He crashed his bike and his narcotics levels were amazingly high. I don't even know how he was functioning the way he was. It means his tolerance has gone way up and he needs more and more to get what he had before. I'm sure he knew he was too off to be on that bike, he had been drinking as well but not enough to be illegal to drive." She paused and took a sip of her coffee, she still couldn't bring herself to look at him, because she knew he was going to get angry with her, it wasn't an IF it was just a matter of when in this story telling he would fly off the handle. "I am not sure how he was when they found him, they said disoriented but he had hit his head. In any case, I made up some bullshit about a drink or two throwing off the reading levels of narcotics in rapid tox screens. The cop bought it and they left." She said.  
  
"What the hell?" Wilson asked, his voice starting to raise, "That was a HUGE red flag Lisa, and you let it pass, you let him escape consequences that were due to him for WHAT REASON!?" He realized he was yelling and his voice went back down. He cleared his throat and continued, "You do realize you enable him. You enable him far more than anyone here, even me. At least I will call him on his bullshit and if I get mad I will avoid him until I deem it appropriate to reciprocate. You always go crawling back to him like a bitch to its owner, you make everything right. No matter how horribly he treats you, you have some grand notion that you OWE the world to him when you owe him absolutely fucking NOTHING. Had he spent the night in jail whatever triggered this stupid behavior might have been stopped. He DESERVED that DUI and you saved him. Once again you LIED and RISKED YOUR OWN reputation to save a man WHO NEEDS TO BE CONDEMNED!" He stood up.  
  
"James, I'm sorry I see now that I--"  
  
"No. NO! That's not good enough. Hindsight is always 20/20 and you can't take it back. You go and take it back they will charge you as well. You know as well as I do that would be the case and it would damn you. I cannot believe you would keep standing up for him. A man who would punch someone in the face because she was right, because she had the evidence to put him away, and she was standing up to him. You saved that man, you saved that man who broke the face of the woman I love. I'm done with you right now." He said and then threw his coffee away. He couldn't find a way to stomach the bitter taste right now with all the bile rising in his throat. He didn't look at her though, because he knew she'd be crying and that would soften him. This wasn't okay, he wasn't going to pretend it was okay either. Something needed to change, he wasn't even sure if she'd stick with him being terminated. All he knew was that Leila was going to need someone to help her when she woke up.

* * *

Cuddy hung around the hospital, just staying where she was until the cops came to take Leila's statement. They had left because they knew she was out and they wanted to confirm with her if she wanted to press charges or not. Cuddy wanted to hear what she had to report to police, even if she only got the story after the fact and wasn't allowed to be in the room as it was stated. Either the police would tell her or House would, and she'd rather not deal with him right now. One of the officers approached her and told her that Leila wanted her in the room to hear what she had to say. She was surprised at this but she came in there anyway. She really had nothing to say to the woman, nor could she look at her. She was positive Wilson had told her about how she had lied the night before.  
  
"Tell Dr. Cuddy what you told us ma'am." The officer said. Leila turned and looked in Cuddy's direction. She had already discussed this with Wilson and though he wasn't exactly for it, he really wasn't against it either. He felt that the punishment should meet whatever Leila thought was fair. He was rather surprised she didn't even mention the breaking and entering. She had just recounted that House and her had gotten into a fight and he struck her, she wouldn't say what the fight was about. Once Cuddy found out this was the case, she felt a tiny bit more relieved but not completely.  
  
"I won't press charges if he gets clean." Leila said. Unfortunately she didn't know that Tritter had tried this approach with House before. Cuddy already knew this shit would never, ever work, and she opened her mouth to speak to Leila, "No, just listen. I am not going to order him into mandatory rehab. Those stupid programs with puppies and sunshine and God will never work for him. I want you to do it. You are qualified to take care of him and help him through the worst. Once that's over he will see either me or someone I refer him to for follow up counseling. This is the deal. Either that's what goes down or not only do I press charges but I sue the fuck out of the hospital." She said through clenched teeth only because it hurt her face to move her jaw too much.  
  
"Leila, I don't--"  
  
"You don't what? First of all, look at me. Fucking LOOK AT ME YOU BITCH!" She screamed and then winced, it hurt her face and head to scream that loudly. Wilson jumped into action and handed her the ice pack. She gently put it to her face. Cuddy was also scared into action and did look at her. "Good. The man you stupidly love and protect and claim to care so damn much about did this to my face. A double fracture. The least you can do is fucking try. If it doesn't take then it doesn't take. Don't stand there and tell me what you aren't going to do for a man who's messes you clean up on a daily basis you bitch." She spat.  
  
"Dr. Dawson that language will not be tolerated." One of the cops said.  
  
"Go fuck yourself. She needs to listen to this." Leila snapped and looked back at Cuddy, "He's not going to listen to anyone but you. He needs to know how great the consequences to you and this hospital will be if he doesn't do it. If he refuses, when YOU and I mean YOU ALONE tell him the terms then I guess he made the bed he has to lie in." She said.  
  
"I don't exactly have high hopes of him agreeing, let alone any of it working." Cuddy told her softly.  
  
"I want to keep my job, I love it here, I love the clients that I see and I want to make sure Remy is okay. I love Wilson, and the only problem I ever had was him and you know it. Please don't make me do this. No one is forcing you, this is an option, I'd suggest you take it while it's still out because I retract it after 48 hours." She said. "That man has hit rock bottom, he's sinking all of us, and if you don't do something about it, I'll sink the entire hospital." She said. Cuddy nodded slightly.  
  
"I'll try but it's all I can do." She said softly. She looked at the officers who nodded at her.  
  
"We'll be in touch Dr. Dawson." They said and then left. Cuddy took in a deep breath and let it out shakily. Wilson wasn't saying anything, he just got Leila a drink of water. She had no idea what he was thinking but he still looked very unhappy.  
  
"Why this, Leila? Why? I don't get it. You didn't even report the other thing he did." She said gently.  
  
"I report him and press charges, he goes away for a long time. In prison he'll have access to more drugs, he'll either OD or come out a far more bitter man than he already is. Right now he has a chance to be saved and you are the only one who can do it. Take the option Lisa. Do what you have to in order to convince him. This is as much as I can help, only you and him can do the rest. I'm sorry." She said softly. Cuddy felt a bit sick to her stomach but she nodded again. She prayed to God that House would listen to her. She needed to give him about 12 hours to sober up, get him to a point where he was willing to negotiate and already starting to feel the horrors of detoxing and then set a plan with him. She knew it'd have to be done quick, but she'd discuss with Leila the chance of giving him at least 24 more hours to prepare, because after that it was her and her hospital against him. She didn't want it to come to that.


	8. Chapter 8

Cuddy met him down at lock up, she waited for quite a while, though. She wanted to make sure he was starting to have withdrawal problems that way when she paid his bail he wouldn't be thinking right and would be more likely to agree with what she was saying just so he could get his next fix. Leila had agreed to letting him have 24 hours to prepare upon agreement to doing this. Though Cuddy knew this, it wasn't something she was going to tell him right away.  
  
When he was brought out to her he looked like a strung out addict, more so than any other time she had seen him and it was incredibly sad. As bitchy as Leila was for trying to thrust this choice on him, it was actually the right one. He looked at her, grumbled something and then started to head past her. Cuddy was a bit confused only because she thought he'd go to her first, thinking that she had brought him the narcotics that he wanted.  
  
"Where are you going?" She asked, following after him quickly, "We need to talk, and right now. You will go back to jail in 48 hours and she'll make the charges stick if you don't listen to me. Also my job will be seriously in danger." Cuddy started in on him right away. She tried to grab his arm but he violently pulled away, so violently she wondered where he had any energy to do that with how far into withdrawal he must have been.  
  
"Don't." He said to her softly, and continued to walk out of the station. She followed him, utterly perplexed. What was his game plan here? Where did he think he was going? What did he think he was doing? His mental status seemed off but she knew why, he was in withdrawal.  
  
"Don't what? Dammit House! I am not going to lose my job over you!" She yelled at him. His expression remained rather unchanged as he went over to the nearest smoker and asked them if they could a spare a cigarette. She looked at him, rather shocked, he really was slipping out of it, wasn't he?  
  
"You should lose your job over me. You lied to protect me in the first place, this is your fault too." He said as he took in a long drag. Not only was that comment incredibly hurtful she noticed he was smoking without one ounce of a problem, indicating that the reason he smelled like smoke when he came back from bars wasn't just the atmosphere.  
  
"House, you are in some very serious trouble. So am I. You have 48 hours to comply to what Leila wants or you go to jail and fuck me over royally. Do something unselfish for once and help someone that isn't you!" She yelled, getting in his face, which was a mistake because all he did was exhale smoke at her. She coughed a bit and pulled back, waving her hand in front of her face.  
  
"I'll take care of it." He said softly, it was in a rather odd tone of voice too. Eerily calm, like he had resigned himself to doing something he thought was horrible but wasn't going to tell her about. She studied him.  
  
"Take care of what? You don't even know what Leila wants." She said, now she was worried. Was he talking about killing himself? One could never know with him. Up until the past few days she would have never thought of House as someone who would cause his own death on purpose. Accidental overdose or car crash sure, not actual plan of suicide.  
  
"I'm not stupid, I know what she wants." His tone remained the same, bland, bored, uncaring. He took another drag from the cigarette and jammed his hands in his coat pocket. It was just the end of summer, heading into fall, but it was a cold morning. "I know what she wants and I'll take care of it."  
  
"House if this is some convoluted plan to get her away from Wilson then I have to stop you." She said, completely exasperated at that point. WIth the way he was talking it could be killing himself or it could be accepting Jesus as his lord and savior, she didn't know, his tone would not give it away.  
  
"It's not." He said simply and dropped the end of the cigarette and snuffed it out. He shivered, and not because of the cold, she could tell, before heavily leaning on his cane and starting to walk away from her and the police station. "She wants me to get clean right?"  
  
"Yeah but--"  
  
"Well then that's what I'll do." He snapped, finally showing some emotion, though with the energy it seemed to take to yell at her like that he stumbled a bit. She rushed to him. He placed his hand on the stone wall outlining the hill of the police station, leaned over and vomited. Cuddy looked on concerned, she rubbed his back gently but he shoved her away before she could speak.  
  
"House you know you can't just DO that alone, you need to be monitored, it could get very dangerous. The level you are at, you could die if someone isn't there to help you! It's really not my fault that you used these drugs to mask your emotions all these years and keep everyone at arms length but-"  
  
"I DIDN'T DO IT TO MASK ANYTHING!" He yelled at her viciously but then ended up having to sit down. She swallowed hard and she felt tears stinging her eyes. "I did it to escape. You wouldn't ever understand that with your God damn perfect existence so shut the fuck up and leave me alone. I'll get through it or I'll die, either way people will be VERY fucking happy with the results." She looked at him. Perfect life? Is that honestly what he thought she had? Maybe to him it was semi-close to almost being perfect but what the hell was he talking about? He of all people knew that wasn't the case.  
  
"Escape?" She asked stupidly. She went to put her hand on his shoulder but again he shoved her back. "House, just talk to me. At this point you can't be hiding a damn thing if you want help. No one wants you to die either, we want to see you through this. Even Leila doesn't want you to die or be hurt. Why do you resist?" She insisted, she was worried about him, far more so than she'd ever been and she needed him to talk to her. He slowly brought his eyes to meet hers.  
  
"Because, if I get clean and it still doesn't get you to love me, I have no narcotic induced dreamland to escape to where you do." He said. His words were so 'as a matter of fact' it was basically like he slapped her in the face, reached into her chest, and pulled out her heart. He'd never said anything close to that before. She was rendered completely speechless as well. She was absolutely breathless. She was sure that the drug abuse hadn't started to keep him in a fake world where she loved him, but now she was sure that's why he had maintained the level addiction he had for years now.  
  
"But I do love you." She told him softly, "More than you could ever understand." He looked at her, his body trembling violently at that point. He was not coming down from this well, he clearly thought he had to be punished for something.  
  
"Yeah as a friend or companion or fellow human be--" She pulled him into a passionate kiss before he could finish. It wasn't the best one, actually probably the worst she'd ever had in way of taste and smell. He had just smoked a cigarette and puked, however what she was feeling for him in that moment helped her overlook the fact that it was basically disgusting what she was doing on a physical level. She let him go a long moment later and looked at him.  
  
"More than I could ever understand?" She asked him seriously. He looked at her and coughed a bit. It was obvious he was in a bit of shock from her actions and hadn't thought that it was going to happen at all.  
  
"Why did you hide it from me?" he nearly demanded, now he just sounded angry.  
  
"Christ!" She yelled at him, not a term that was ever in her usual vocabulary as a Jewish woman but it was the first thing she could think of. Was he really getting angry with her now? This was all he had ever fucking wanted and he was mad that she had hid it from him? And there wasn't any hiding he was just always too damn stoned on one thing or another to see it, "House listen to me right now. You aren't going to get ANGRY about this. This, right here, you getting upset for me 'hiding' something that was in plain sight all along. That's you putting up walls again. Do you want this? Or do you want to continue to put up walls until I give up even with as stubborn as I am?" She demanded. Everyone had their breaking point and she was getting close to reaching hers.  
  
There was a long pause, a very long pause. The only reason she stood there and waited was because he kept opening his mouth like he was going to talk but nothing was coming. At a few points she could have sworn he was going to vomit again, but that never happened either. She also had to take into account his mental state as well as physical. Finally, after at least five minutes had passed he managed to lift his very tired looking head and   
speak to her.  
  
"Help me." He breathed, and there was actually a tear sliding down his cheek. It was probably the most heartbreaking expression she had ever seen on his face. In that moment she understood why it took him so long to respond to her. He was asking someone for help, he was asking her for help. The blow to his ego must have been massive. He was probably trying to work up the energy to take the metaphorical punch. She moved in and wrapped her arms around him, but this time she wasn't shoved back, she was accepted. She was still entirely too nervous about this endeavor but she knew at this point she had to help him. It wasn't a want and there was no room for 'ifs' or 'buts' this was a need and she wasn't going to ignore it.

* * *

Getting him back to his place was quite the ordeal. Mostly because they had to stop three more times for him to puke. Actually he only puked the first two times, the third time was just a bunch of violent dry heaves and a clear anxiety attack that he wouldn't call an anxiety attack even though she was aware that's what it was. Not that she told him that, but the signs were obvious and she was guessing that's why he kept dry heaving. He must have been scared out of his mind to be attempting this after all that he'd been through and she couldn't exactly blame him for that, but it was now or never.  
  
"Let me get you some water. If you keep puking like that you are going to get dehydrated." She said to him softly as she sat him down on the couch. She headed into his kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water. When she came back out he was curled up on the couch in the smallest ball he could possibly get into, shaking and sniffling a bit with a very dead and cold look in his eyes. She had no idea why he hadn't just grabbed the blanket that was thrown over the back of the couch to use, so she did it for him and wrapped it around his shaking, fetal form. "House, I'm going to make you drink this you know." She said.  
  
He looked at her but didn't say anything, there was no indication to if he was going to agree to drink the water or not, but there was indications that he had heard her, he just didn't know how to respond. She opened the bottle of water and pulled him up a bit. She moved it to his lips, fully expecting resistance but he didn't offer any. He just opened his mouth and let her tilt the bottle so a bit of it poured in past his dry, cracked lips.  
  
After she had given him a few mouthfuls she capped the bottle and set it down on the coffee table. She knew now that what needed to be done was finding every last pill in that place. Knowing him it could be hidden anywhere. She didn't know how much cooperation she'd have from him at that point, or even if he was that serious about this beyond wanting some sort of redemption in order to go right back on the pills.  
  
"Get some rest." She told him and then grabbed the remote for the TV. She turned it on and then placed the black controller in his hand. He gripped it loosely as his eyes moved to focus on the TV.  
  
"Check books, and behind the medicine cabinet. Oh, the cane in the closet, the one with the snake head as a handle, that unscrews, there are pills in there." He said softly as she started to walk past him. He spoke very firmly, as if he knew that this was the next step and she was already on it. The thing that surprised her was that he was actually helping. That he was telling her where to find the contraband. Maybe he was far more serious about this than she anticipated.  
  
"Rest, okay? I'll take care of you." She said softly. He grunted something she couldn't understand and she headed into his bedroom. She took in a deep breath, looked around, and couldn't hold back the tears any longer. The next place she ended up was on his bed, a complete sobbing mess. How the hell was she going to do this? How could she see him through this until the end? He was going to be a huge, miserable, wretch and they weren't even close to the really bad parts of it yet. These were just the beginning stages. She knew that this was just as much about punishing her as it was about getting House better. In that moment she hated Leila for putting it all on her, as if she was the only one who could do this, yet at the same time the woman had been right. For the first time ever he had asked for help and was actually aiding in his detox instead of fighting it. The situation was so fucked up at that point, all she could do was cry.

* * *

Leila was in her office, just grabbing a few things to take home with her while she was recovering. Her iPad was still in there and she wanted to make sure she had it with her. Though she knew House would be indisposed for a few days, she was taking at least a week off and she knew that. Her face hurt horribly. It was even worse than the time her horse had stepped on her foot and broken it bad enough she had needed surgery. Facial pain was always the worst, though, because it tied into so many other areas and seemed rather intense. She wouldn't need surgery for this fracture but it sure did suck.  
  
After jamming important things into her briefcase she headed back into the hall and locked the door. She didn't exactly want anyone to see her like this. Not because she was vain but because she'd end up having to explain what happened in some way and on her list of priorities, protecting House's reputation from further damage was low. Wilson was supposed to be out there, he was going to take her home, she didn't see him though. This upset her more than it should have and she reached into her pocket to get the painkillers she had picked up from the pharmacy first.  
  
"Dr. Dawson?" She heard a rather sweet voice from behind her. She turned, on instinct, not thinking to hide her face. It was that girl who had told her that Remy had gone insane the other day when they were standing outside of the morgue. She regretted she had never learned the woman's name.   
  
"Wow. Bar fight?" She asked, clearly meaning it as a good natured jab at why Leila's face looked the way it did.  
  
"Yeah those mud wrestling tournaments on the weekend can get pretty hardcore." She laughed a bit, at least the girl had given her an opening to lie about it if she wanted. This way she didn't have to protect House, though she liked that the younger woman didn't feel the need to insert herself into drama that didn't exactly concern her. She was so pretty though, Leila couldn't get away from those eyes. "I'm sorry I don't think I ever learned your name. If you didn't raise a red flag while I was going over the initial psych evaluation papers you kind of didn't hit my radar."  
  
"Amber, Amber Volakis." She said and held out her hand confidently. Leila took it and grasped it in her most professional handshake that she could.  
  
"How can I help you Dr. Volakis?" She asked and then opened her pill bottle. She grabbed the bottle of water from the pocket of it and downed two of the percocet she was given. They never did anything to help any actual physical pain they just fucked her brain up enough to make her not care about the pain.  
  
"You can just call me Amber. Or cut throat bitch if you think I'm not within ear shot. Anyway, I wanted to know how Remy is doing. No one will let us in to see her." She said. Leila looked at her oddly, that question wasn't because Amber was at all concerned with Remy as a person, she seemed to be more concerned about the threat the girl posed to her getting the fellowship. Leila didn't care though, at least this woman was rather honest about what she wanted and who she was.  
  
"Leila's fine for me as well, no need for formalities with me. Anyway I ordered her to be isolated for 48 hours and put on suicide watch. I believe she's going to be fine, but if you are worried about competition, she's not returning." Leila smiled. She really didn't care that Amber was more concerned about that than who Remy actually was. It was a natural human behavior to have.  
  
"Well I mean the competition is--"  
  
"Please don't bullshit me. I don't think you are crazy or immoral for wanting another person out to save your own ass. I'd want the same thing if I was interested in being mentored by someone like House. I'm not, so it's different. Besides you don't have any personal attachment to her anyway. You cared enough to ask at least so don't worry, I don't think there's anything wrong with you." Leila said and then headed over to the bench in the hall. She needed to sit down, her head was starting to throb. "Did you see Wilson at all when you were trying to find me?" She asked.  
  
"No. Was he supposed to meet you here?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah, he's taking me home. With the amount of painkillers I am on I can't drive." She sighed gently, "I really don't want to stay here a second more than I have to. I hate hospitals when I'm the patient." She reached to get her phone out, she was going to text him, that was if she could manage to see clear enough to send a text that made sense. Half your face swelling up didn't aid in looking at small letters on the screen of a phone.  
  
"Oh. You want company while you wait?" She asked. Leila blinked a few times. That seemed like an interesting thing for a cut throat bitch to offer, not that Leila would go as far as calling her that but she had already become very aware that Amber had the 'every man for himself' mentality. What set her apart from Remy that she'd want to keep company with her?  
  
"Yeah sure, that way if I pass out from the pain you can kick his ass for taking so damn long and I can take over when I regain consciousness." She laughed a bit and then looked back down at her phone.  
  
"Here, let me help with that. I can't imagine it's easy for you to see what or even who you are texting at this point." She smiled crookedly and took the phone from her. "Should I capitalize the f-bombs to show emotion or just keep it rather neutral?" Leila laughed. She was beginning to think this girl was going to be a friend of hers, she at least hoped.

* * *

Cuddy woke up when she heard House moaning, well it was more like screaming. He sounded like he was in some incredibly horrible pain and she hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep. She scrambled to her feet, absolutely no progress done on finding all of his vicodin, and raced into the living room. He was asleep, if one could call it that, he certainly wasn't resting. His hands gripped his thigh tightly, and his head was shaking back and fourth. He was having a nightmare. She didn't know what nightmare could be so horrific that it would produce screams like that but she knew it was a better idea to wake him up than let it continue.  
  
"HOUSE!" She yelled as she got down by him and shook him gently to get him to wake up.  
  
"NO!" He yelled and then snapped awake. His eyes looked rather distant for a moment before settling on her. He reached up and placed his hand on her cheek, he looked desperate, scared and completely desperate, "You didn't leave." He breathed softly.  
  
"Why would I?" She asked him, "You need my help, that's what I'm here to do." She told him and got closer to his face. She grabbed the bottle of water without looking at it, it was completely empty. He must have drank the rest of it while she was sleeping. How long had she been out anyway? She hadn't checked the time before she had fallen asleep nor had she checked it when his screams had woken her up. It couldn't have been that long right? What was even more surprising was that he hadn't gone and gotten any one of the pill stashes that he clearly hid around there. Even without her monitoring him he was sticking with his plan to detox. This was all sorts of amazing to her. She could barely believe it.  
  
"But I'm a miserable bastard." He said softly. She leaned in and kissed his forehead gently.  
  
"How exactly is that a change from every other day of your life?" She joked and then stroked his hair for a moment, "Let me get you some more water, alright? Also some food. Do you have soup in here or something?"  
  
"I can't think straight enough right now to remember what I might have other than vicodin and a bunch of alcohol." He told her honestly, "But can you give me that empty bottle? I have to piss and I don't think I have the strength to get myself up and go to the actual bathroom." She sighed a bit and handed it over to him.  
  
"Well at least you were honest about that." She smiled and he moved the bottle under the blanket quickly. How long had he been waiting? Or was it just the waking from sleep that had augmented the need? "I'll go see what you have, but you are going to need to eat as well."  
  
"I'm just going to puke it back up...oh god that feels so much better." He breathed and she could tell that he had started to pee even though everything was covered by the blanket.  
  
"Yes well you may not puke it back up and it's far better that you eat than not in the next 36 hours, okay?" She headed into the kitchen. She started to go through the cabinets, he really did basically have nothing there. She sighed loudly, seriously? It wasn't like she could take him out to get him food, nor was she going to risk leaving him there to either get desperate and cheat by taking vicodin, or accidentally choke on his own vomit if he started to puke while he was asleep.  
  
"We could just order out." He called to her. She came back into the room. That might not be such a good idea, and she knew that he was well aware that pizza or chinese food was not something he should be eating while detoxing.  
  
"Not going to happen and you know it." She sighed. He had slipped the bottle he had used back down onto the floor by the couch, thankfully he had enough sense to put the cap back on it. She grabbed it and headed into the kitchen to toss it in the trash when her phone started to ring. She sighed and dumped the bottle before answering. "Hello?" she asked, she hadn't bothered to check who had been calling.  
  
"Is he listening to you?" It was Wilson, he still sounded rather angry about this whole situation. He had every right to, and she couldn't say that he didn't, but the way he was acting was starting to annoy her as well.  
  
"Yes, surprisingly, but he has no food at his place and he needs to eat I can't leave him here cause---"  
  
"Figure it out yourself." He snapped and then the line clicked, indicating he had hung up on her. Though she hadn't reached her breaking point, it was clear Wilson had. However, seeing the woman your loved getting jacked in the face by a man you thought was your best friend due to his irresponsible drug usage would make anyone pissed off. It scared her to think that she was all alone with him here. She doubted Leila would come over and if Wilson was that upset she knew it was useless to call him back because she'd only get the cold shoulder. She knew him well enough to know there was a good chance he might come around in time to help. If not, they really were kind of screwed.  
  
"There's a Chinese place near me that has good vegan soup. I can order you some of that." She said to him. He was half asleep again at that point, twitching a bit with the muscle spasms over taking his body due to withdrawal. She didn't even think he was aware that Wilson had called or she had been on the phone while she was in there.  
  
"Vegan..." Was the only word she could make out of his mumblings next, but they didn't sound happy or like he thought the idea was appetizing.  
  
"I know, but I don't think we have any other options. Just try to rest. I'll order the food and start to compile your contraband stash." She told him. He grunted something and she sighed again, for the millionth time. She couldn't let on how scared she was that Wilson had drawn the line and completely given up, how terrified she was that he would say or do something to cause her to call it quits even though she had promised him she wouldn't. All she could do was put this into the hands of a God she wasn't so sure she believed in at that point.


	9. Chapter 9

House was looking more and more miserable as time ticked on. Cuddy could just sit there and watch him struggle with his inner demons and things he clearly wanted to say but held back every time he looked at her. She figured that he was angry but also knew that what he had to say was something that couldn't be taken back so he was biting his tongue. However as of now they were only at the 22 hour mark. There was still a lot of time to go where he'd be miserable. Pretty soon they'd be out of the stage where he was too physically ill to speak and he'd just be miserable and in pain, and all he'd have is words to lash out at her with.  
  
"I thought about doing it once." He suddenly said, but it was an odd half whispering kind of tone so she wasn't sure if he was speaking to her. She was half asleep herself, so this jolted her more into a state of being alert. She looked over at him, what had he thought about doing? Was he dreaming or actually trying to tell her something. He wasn't looking at her, his eyes were half open at that point.  
  
"What did you think about doing?" She asked. He had been saying strange things on and off the whole time she'd been watching him toss and turn on the couch. She had tried to get him to move to his bed but he just didn't seem to have the will or strength to stand up, and it wasn't like she could carry him. His sleep filled ramblings covered many topics, from why kittens actually weren't as cute as people wanted you to think to Soylent Green being people. She didn't know what to take seriously at that point.  
  
"I made an appointment and got a consultation. I thought, okay this will fix me and then...I won't be so angry any more." He continued, She was getting annoyed with him, the way he was speaking, the vagueness of all of it. She still loved him, yes, but this was really putting a strain on it. She wanted to grab him and yell at him to make sense but it wouldn't work. His brain was so fucked up anyway he wouldn't understand the command.  
  
"You are going to have to clarify for me." She said slowly.  
  
"My leg! I was going to chop it off for you! Jesus Christ you thick bitch pay attention!" He yelled angrily. That was a loaded statement. At first she was hurt that he had called her a bitch like that but then she actually digested the information. She blinked a few times. When had that happened? He was lying. Or was he? She didn't really think he had the ability to lie at that point.  
  
"When was this?" she asked slowly.  
  
"About a year ago, I got a consult. They cleared me, I just never went through with it. I got cold feet. Especially because I didn't plan on telling anyone I knew so they could come in after and pity me. Then I realized, should I do it then all of you would have gotten what you wanted anyway." He groaned, his hands when to his thigh and started to grab it. She sighed and got up, she had no idea he was that miserable, yet it kind of marked his character that he didn't tell a damn person about this.  
  
She dropped down by the couch and moved the blanket back and away a bit before starting to massage his thigh gently. The muscles were incredibly knotted and locked up, not surprisingly, but her smaller hands could work to massage it better. He moved his hands and started to relax almost instantly. He let out a groan, but this one was in pleasure.  
  
"Why are you telling me this? And it's your leg you either keep it or you don't. I wouldn't judge you either way. I understand why you chose the option you did. It's okay, House." She said softly as she worked her hands. She was running on very little actual sleep and was seriously at an emotional breaking point. It was daunting to her how no one wanted to help, how low on food and supplies they were, and that Wilson and Leila just weren't answering their phones. She had left several messages, sent texts, and emails. No responses. After the first 12 hours of that she just gave up. They were going to respond when they did. It wasn't like they didn't know the situation.  
  
"I'm telling you so you know." He muttered but he was starting to drift off to sleep again, probably because she was taking the pain away by what she was doing to his leg. At some point she had convinced him to change into looser pajama pants to help with the swelling and pain. The way he had just said that to her basically meant "I feel like shit and now I want you to feel like shit too" and so she realized the lashing out had started. She would get to take his verbal abuse for the next 12 hours all alone. Maybe he'd get better but it'd break her. He went silent after that, he was just breathing in the pattern of someone who had fallen asleep. She kept massaging his leg though, wanting to make sure he got some actual sleep. Then she saw movement in his pants.  
  
He was getting aroused. How, she had no idea, either it was a natural response from her massaging him, or just because he was asleep, or a combination of both, yet her eyes could not leave that impressive bulge in his pants. The man had sustained erections under heavy narcotics usage, well she assumed he did with as many hookers as he fucked, so she guessed this wasn't all that surprising. Her hands worked at his thigh but all she wanted to do was get his cock out and massage that. Work him to orgasm while he slept and he'd be none the wiser. He'd probably wake up feeling a ton more relaxed than if she didn't do anything and he woke up with a boner. Just as she was about to reach to do this, there was a knock on the door.  
She rubbed her eyes, not sure if she had just thought that or someone was actually knocking. Then it happened again. She slowly got to her feet. Her entire body was cramped up from how she had been curled up on the chair monitoring him for the past day. She had high hopes that it was Wilson but when the door did reveal who it was, she was even more shocked to see Leila there holding two large bags of what looked like food.  
  
"You need help." She said and came into the apartment, "Wilson still refuses to be a part of this, he doesn't even know I'm here. I lied and said I had to go meet a client. He's incredibly upset and I don't blame him, but I am very impressed with the fact that he's made it this long and you haven't given up either. It couldn't have been fun for either of you. He deserves to eat right." She headed into the kitchen and set the bags down on the island in the center of it. Cuddy looked at her, this was the woman who had put her in the situation in the first place, and she had every right to still be angry, her face looked horrible. Though the swelling had gone down substantially, almost the whole entire right half of her head was covered in a purplish bruise.  
  
"You didn't need to do this." Cuddy said as she entered the kitchen. She didn't realize that her tone sounded more like 'what took you so long' instead of some sort of modest thank you. Leila looked at her and opened the fridge to put away the perishable food items.  
  
"It took me so long to come around because basically I was fucking Wilson this whole time. I won't get into details but that man's stamina is...I mean fuck. Anyway, he blocked both of your cell numbers and emails, so I got all the texts that you sent to both of us as well as the emails. If you called him I don't know because it wouldn't go through on his phone. He won't get off the subject of how House fucked up the face of the woman he loves because of his drug usage, and how you still defend his actions. I don't hate him, and I guess I can forgive him after what I've been through in the past day or so myself." She said, "Get some sleep, you need it. I can only allow you an hour though, two at most. I don't need him finding out where I actually went. It'll keep things more peaceful and with as bad as the headache is with this injury I want to prevent a worse one okay?"  
  
"But you are lying to him." Cuddy said before she could stop herself.  
  
"I'm lying to him to help your dick boyfriend. If you don't want to sleep be my fucking guest Cuddy. I didn't have to do any of this period. What do you want from me?" Leila snapped, "Trust me, I don't want to be here at all, I don't want to talk to him or risk him touching me for a second time. However I don't want him to go hungry and suffer without proper nutrition because I'm not selfish like he is." Cuddy clenched her teeth, Leila was being a huge bitch and yet she was right and making a good point, which was the only reason Cuddy didn't start to throw a string of f-bombs and insults her way.  
  
"Alight, wake me up at the last moment possible." She said softly, "I guess any amount of actual sleep is better than none. Thank you." She nodded and headed out of there to get to House's bed. That bed was comfortable as hell, she couldn't wait to curl up under the covers and just pass out. Leila sighed and then started to get out what she would need to make a rather large pot of homemade soup. It was just a matter of chopping up ingredients and heating it. Nothing fancy, she'd done it a ton of times to bring food to other sick friends. By the time Cuddy woke up, House would have something mild on his stomach to eat and she could just feed it to him.  
  
She walked into the room where House was still asleep. She went and covered him up further, noticing the arousal and wondering exactly what Cuddy had been doing before she arrived even though House was clearly asleep. She headed back into the kitchen to start cooking. She wasn't yet ready to admit the reason why she could now understand and forgive him was because she had a small window of time to see how great an escape from pain narcotics could be since he ruined her face.

* * *

Leila had dozed off herself, shortly after starting to heat up the soup. She had sat down to watch House. He was still asleep but what had woken her was him. He was saying Cuddy's name softly, like he was trying to call out for her but was too weak to do so. She checked her watch, only about forty-five minutes had passed and she could still be there for at least another 20 before Wilson would start wondering what the hell happened to her. She struggled for a moment, she wanted to wake up Cuddy. Forty-five minutes would be enough to energize her, but she felt the woman deserved more than that. Besides, House was so out of it, he wouldn't even know it wasn't Cuddy helping him. She walked over to the couch and looked down at him.  
  
"What can I do for you House?" she asked in a dead pan voice. She hated that she cared so much and could empathize with him. Once she realized how awesome those pain killers were, she had only taken them until the tylenol and anti-inflammatories had started to work and then cut them out right away. She felt that she was playing a dangerous game, and not because she had ever had a drug problem before, but all she could think of was House and how his addiction ruled his life and she made herself stop. She had dumped the pills in the toilet and flushed them just to be sure.  
  
"Leg...you stopped massaging it." He muttered, and she now knew he actually thought she was Cuddy because he said 'you' instead of 'she'.  
  
"House I'm not--"  
  
"Please..." He begged. He looked so pathetic and pained. She looked at her watch and then sat down on the floor and pushed the blanket back. She wasn't sure she exactly knew what she was doing here, hell she didn't even know where exactly the injury was. She knew he had a scar, she had heard people reference it, but what if she fucked up and touched it or something.  
  
"House I can't, I'm...you need to wait." She told him, she was too scared to touch him and cause him more pain because she honestly didn't know where to touch and where not to, she had no experience with him and this.  
  
"Cuddy!" He whined, and then there was some half awkward sob. She really was torn at what to do here and then had a flash of genius.  
  
"Where does it hurt?" She asked him, "Show me." Immediately his hands went to his thigh and started to rub it, as if he was showing her what to do.   
  
She breathed a sigh of relief and replaced his hands with hers. Her fingers moved tentatively at that point, trying to feel what she could through the thin fabric to make sure she didn't touch anything that would make him punch her again as a knee jerk reaction.  
  
"Fuck....thank you." He breathed and then groaned softly, starting to relax again. She didn't say anything, because she was met with his arousal again, and she was sure it was meant for Cuddy but it was making her uncomfortable. She felt like she was violating him in some odd way. She wanted to go home, she wanted to be with Wilson, she wanted not to care about him. Another glance at her watch just showed her how much more time left she had to be doing this to him until Cuddy could be woken up. He groaned again, his hips thrust up a bit.  
  
Her eyes went wide, he couldn't be getting off on this, right? Then she'd have to stop. She wasn't going to work him like this to release. Though his brain and nerves were so shot, his body was probably processing this pleasure all wrong.  
  
"House I can't keep doing this if you are going to orgasm from it." She said, "It's not right."  
  
"I love you...it's fine. All I've wanted forever was to be with you. So what if I cum from this? We both know what it means. I know you love me too...it's okay." He tried to assure her, but she wasn't sure if it was because he wanted to cum or because he actually believed it.  
  
"House, I'm not Cuddy, I'm Leila." She said firmly. Maybe that would knock him out it. It was a delayed reaction, but that did the trick, about thirty seconds later he had violently pulled away from her. So violently that she pulled back herself, her arms coming up to block her face, an instinctual fear that he was going to hit her again. She hadn't realized she was that terrified of him until that jerky moment happened.  
House's eyes came into focus for the first time in hours. He was completely awake, aware and then he saw Leila. She was cowering from him, on the floor. Had he hit her again? No, that wasn't the case, but she was fucking terrified. Almost like she was about to piss herself terrified. She was in a full on wince and her eyes were squeezed shut as she held her arms up. It only lasted for a split second, but that image of how much she feared him was now seared in his brain. Just as quick as she had done it, her arms were back down and she was scooting backwards so she could get to her feet.  
  
"Why are you even here?" He asked and then blinked a few more times. The whole right half of her face was purple, black in some places. Her once bright green eye was marred with burst blood vessels. In the clear, sober light of day he was seeing what he had done to her. His heart seized up. He had really hit her hard for doing the right thing.  
  
"I'm here because I'm not some rich, spoiled, heartless bitch like you wanted everyone to think." She told him, "I need to check on the soup." She was still shaking slightly, he felt really awful at that point. Even more so because she was handling this all with a calm dignity instead of shouting about how much pain she must be in.  
  
"You're terrified of me. I'm not going to hit you again." He said as she walked past the couch and him to get to the kitchen.  
  
"Consciously I believe that. Subconsciously I don't. My brain saw you jerk away from me once it realized I was the one touching you and it reacted like it did. I corrected it. What more do you want from me?" She asked him. He didn't know, he wanted to tell her to get the fuck out so he didn't have to look at what he'd done in a drug induced haze but he knew that wouldn't be right either. He grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders.  
  
"You made me soup?" He called. There was no answer, "Look, Leila, what you did here. You got me to ask for help, you brought Cuddy to me, but you are punishing her when she doesn't deserve any of it." He said, not sure she could even hear him or was listening. What surprised him even more was when she returned with a bowl of the most delicious looking chicken soup he had ever seen or smelled.  
  
"Here." She said and held the bowl out to him. "And she does need to be punished. She shouldn't have been covering for you this whole time. To a point where you got so drugged up you smashed my face in. This is her karma as well as yours. I'm not pressing charges any more and she's no longer in danger, as long as you complete the detox the deal stands." She told him. He looked at her, he still didn't think Cuddy should be the one tortured like this when he deserved all of the pain.  
  
"Where is she?" He asked and then got a spoonful of soup and started to blow on it gently. He assumed she was still there just not in the room, obviously. He was shaking, he had the chills to a point where it was just shaking everything off of the spoon that would help him. "Fuck." he breathed and put the spoon back in the bowl.  
  
"I told her to get some sleep, I have to leave in about ten minutes anyway. I'll be waking her up." She said, he saw the way she was looking at him. Like he was the one to be felt sorry for, which for some reason he couldn't comprehend because of the way she looked. Why did she have to stand there rubbing his actions in his own face? He already regretted what he had done.  
  
"Then I'll sign myself into a facility." He said softly.  
  
"No you won't." She said, "Because you know as well as I do they'll hold you far longer than you need to be held. Believe it or not, her one on one attention is going to cure you far better than some nurse and doctor you don't even fucking know." She said.  
  
"Yeah but I'll need outpatient." He said to her, "She can't handle all of this herself, she's not a psychiatrist." He said, he was finding it hard to look at her, finding it hard not to yell at her to get the fuck out because he honestly was feeling sick anytime he glanced in her direction.  
  
"I have friends I can refer you to once this part is over." She said. She looked at her watch again, "I have to go wake Cuddy up." She started to head back towards where she saw Cuddy go, assuming the bedroom was back there somewhere.  
  
"Leila?" He asked slowly.  
  
"Yeah?" She stopped and turned to look at him. He made the mistake of turning his head to look at her, wanting to have a civil conversation yet once again he was met with his mistake and he kind of winced. "Okay you need to stop doing that, I look horrible, I know, don't have to rub it in." He chose to ignore that comment, he didn't know why, he just did and it was far easier to let go than he thought because the old version of him would have had a field day with her bitch flip.  
  
"Is it unethical for me to see you for outpatient?" He asked. Had he been able to look at her he'd have seen the shocked expression on her face. He assumed that came as a surprise to her anyway but didn't dare look to confirm. It wouldn't be a good idea.  
  
"No, but why would you?" She asked.  
  
"You have a point. Me seeing some stranger isn't going to help as much as if I talk to someone I already have a history with. Also as much as I hate to admit it, you'd be good with handling me." He said softly. He was basing this on the idea that she had been one of the first people in a very long time to not let him get away with shit that he did. Yes she had delayed telling on him, but a far shorter time than anyone else. Plus she hadn't been scared away by his tactics, she was smart, and she held strong to her convictions even with all the shit he threw at her. To him that meant she had substance, and he also knew that meant she wasn't going to coddle him, preach about how he needed to find the power within, and let him get away with a huge pity party about how life was unfair. That's what he needed. Not fluffy kittens and rainbows.  
  
"If it's what you think will help then we'll set something up for you." She said and then left the room. He picked up the bowl of soup and tried taking the spoon again. This time he gripped it differently, and much more tightly. He was able to get some of it to his mouth and it tasted like the best thing ever. Though he didn't know if it was because she was a good cook or because he was detoxing and hadn't eaten in, well he couldn't even remember. He didn't even hold the memory of Cuddy feeding him the vegan soup the few times that she had already.  
  
"How are you doing House?" Cuddy asked sleepily as she came into the room. He turned to look at her, at least she didn't looked marred almost beyond recognition by his actions, though it was almost as bad because she looked tired and broken. God, he really was a huge screw up wasn't he? He had physically damaged one woman's face and emotionally damaged another's. Why were they even still here? What was so great about him that they even wanted to help at that point? He really was a huge bastard for the way he had been acting.  
  
"I've been far better." He muttered, wanting to add that he would have been happier had Leila not shown up to let him see her as she was. He managed to get another spoonful of soup into his mouth and refused to look at her as well. He couldn't take this, what the fuck had he done to them? And Wilson...fuck...he didn't want to think about this any more. He wanted to go back to his pills and pretend everything was okay. He hunched over more and tried to force himself to eat.  
  
"I have to go, Lisa. If he gets really, really bad you call me first. I just...I worry that if he actually goes inpatient it'll hurt him worse, because they will put him on a hold and you off and he needs you right now more than anyone." Leila said, "You need to watch him though. And closely." House heard a tone in her voice, like she knew. Like she knew exactly what he was thinking in that moment.  
  
"Thank you, Leila. I think we'll be okay." Cuddy replied and sat on the couch next to House. She started to run her fingers through his hair soothingly. It was all he could do not to wince and pull away from her. He was such an evil dick, how could she be so nice to him? He heard Leila sigh, she knew he was going to be stupid. He could tell, why wasn't she warning Cuddy? Why wasn't she telling the truth.  
  
"Alright. You have my number." She grabbed her purse that she had set by the door and he heard it open and shut. This wasn't right, she should have said something. Or did she want him to do it? Did she think it was inevitable? He couldn't think, he needed the vicodin, it was beyond a want at that point. Just one pill, or two, it would bring him back to where he normally was and he'd be able to think. He'd be able to figure out this whole situation. Then he could figure out what Leila's tone of voice meant, and he could find the words to calm Cuddy down and let her know it was okay. He started to glance around the room inconspicuously.  
  
"Are you okay? You look like you are starting to lose it, well lose it more." She said. She put her hand on his cheek and turned her head to look at him. He looked into her eyes. So much love there, so much compassion, and there he sat, the selfish, spoiled, evil man child who didn't care about anyone. He needed that though, he needed her love and in that moment he only knew one possible way to get it. Leaving the spoon in the bowl, he used his now free hand to place on the back of her head and pull her into a hungry kiss.  
  
She didn't resist, in fact, she returned it with equal hunger and lust. That was good, though, that was what he needed. He was dimly aware of her grabbing the bowl of soup and getting it to the table by the arm of the couch and setting it there before laying him back more. The kiss only broke for split seconds at a time as she did and once she was on top of him things progressed rather quickly, as they were destined too.  
She kept her lips locked with his, pushing his shirt up, her hands under it, massaging and even clawing at his chest. He groaned into her mouth, his hips thrusting up towards hers. She was pressed so tightly against him and positioned in just the right way that his thigh couldn't get in the way. He wanted her, he wanted her with a hunger that he couldn't possibly believe at that point. His hands went down to her skirt, thank God she was wearing a skirt, it would save so much time. Once he found the hem of it, he started to yank it up instead of down, it was a faster route to her panties. She helped him, letting out small breathless groans of passion into his mouth as she did. Once it was up far enough she got the panties off herself and dropped them to the floor.  
  
"This is happening, isn't it?" He breathed.  
  
"You bet your ass it is." She breathed back and freed him from his pants. He wasn't sure heaven existed til the moment she slid onto his hard cock. The noise he let out was even alien to his own ears. No other woman had ever felt this good, drunk, sober, or stoned she was the most amazing thing he had ever felt around his cock.  
  
His hands went to her hips and rested there. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed herself up a bit, so she could look down into his eyes as she did this. He gazed up into hers. He couldn't do much in the way of thrusting but she seemed to be aware of this and took charge of that herself. She started to rotate her hips in a sensual motion as she moved up and down on him. Practically massaging his dick with her inner walls. Fuck this was amazing. Her eyes, filled with lust and love for him. His hands, gripping her hips even harder.  
  
"Fuck..." she breathed, "Oh fuck this is....amazing..." she told him, staring down at him, still with hunger and need. He couldn't respond, hell he couldn't even make a noise. Though his mouth was opening, nothing was coming out but breathless gasps. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, needed her, longed for her it just wasn't happening, yet some how he was very aware that she knew this.  
Her movements got more frantic, they increased in intensity and speed. He knew she was close, as was he. God he was so close to the climax he'd needed with her for years. He thrust up a few times, ignoring the pain in his leg. It was there, but barely, and even if after this moment it all came crashing back into him, it'd be okay because he'd have this part of the day to recall.  
  
"Close..." he managed to whisper, and it sounded so stupid to him because he had far more to say than that, it was just his mind was now a jumble of fuzzy warm pleasure, he couldn't find a way to form anything else that would be comprehensible.  
  
"Me too..." she breathed, he could tell she had reached the same point of ecstasy he had as she was no longer making noise, it was just her expression that denoted the extreme pleasure she was in. Moments after they climaxed nearly simultaneously. A flash of light exploded in front of his eyes. He either screamed out with that orgasm or just thought he did, either way, it was probably the best one he had ever had in his life. He heard her scream, he knew that, and it was so much better than when she screamed at him in anger or frustration. He wanted to keep hearing the scream she just made, he never wanted to hear her get angry again.  
  
She fell on top of him, breathing hard. Her legs probably not at all in a comfortable position, trembling and fearful of movement, lest she hurt his thigh on accident. In that moment, he still had no idea why she had these feelings or where they were coming from, he just knew that he had to do everything he could to make sure they never stopped. He wrapped his arms around her, and moved his head down so it was pressed against the top of hers and tried to catch his breath. He wasn't even aware of the tears that streaked his face at that point. He just knew this was a woman he was never going to let go, and he would do anything within his power to make sure she wasn't pushed away. It would certainly kill him now if she left.


	10. Chapter 10

Cuddy hadn't noticed that House had moved out from under her after she fell asleep. She had been so emotionally and physically exhausted that him moving out from under her had obviously not done a thing to disturb her. She rubbed her eyes a bit and sat up. Where had he gone? Considering he hadn't moved from that couch in about a day it was odd to her that he would get up now. It could either mean he felt a lot better or he was doing something stupid.  
  
"AH FUCK!" She heard him yell from the bathroom and immediately scrambled to her feet and ran to the bathroom door. She shoved it open, he was bleeding and badly. It was his arm that had been cut, near his wrist. He was on the floor near the bathtub. The mirror had been shattered, she'd been in a deep enough sleep to not even be woken by that?  
  
"House?" She asked and ran to him trying to clasp her hand over the wound that was nearly squirting blood at her it was so bad. "What the hell?" She had been so out she didn't even know what the time frame to the mirror breaking and him cutting himself was, she could only assume it was an accident because of the way his legs were positioned, it looked like he had fallen. "What happened?"  
  
"Does it matter?!" He screamed at her. He had a point, this could be addressed later.  
  
"I need to call an ambulance, this cut isn't going to stop bleeding you need to get stitched up." She told him seriously. Yes, she would get him help and question him later. Still it baffled her why the hell the mirror was broken anyway. He had told her to look in there for the pills she had gotten every last one she could, she didn't realize when he said behind the mirror he meant a hole behind it. Had she, she'd have realized very quickly what had happened.  
  
"Cuddy--"  
  
"No I am not going to cauterize it or stitch it myself. It was an accident, and no one has to know you were detoxing or we fucked. I can't have you die on me." She grabbed a towel and tied it tightly around his arm and the wound, it was right above the artery on his wrist. The one that wasn't in a cast that was, how he had managed to hurt both arms now was a mystery to her. She ran to get her phone.

* * *

When they got to the hospital, at her insistence, he was immediately taken to a room, but the stitches were put in very quickly. He was out now, due to every factor working against his body keeping him alert. She was relieved though, he was going to be okay. Still, something about this wasn't sitting right with her and she didn't know what. They had just had sex, expressed love to each other, there would be no reason for him to be doing this on purpose right? That just didn't make sense. Yet something about it made it look TOO much like an accident, to a point where something was telling her it wasn't an accident.  
  
She didn't exactly want to call Leila but the woman had seemed worried and did want to be kept informed. She paced the halls for a few moments before getting her phone out and dialing her number. What was the worst that could happen? Leila would refuse to come in right? and if she did, she'd just tell her House was fine and she was the one who was stressed out. It wouldn't be that horrible and it wouldn't hurt to check things out.  
Luckily, Leila did answer and she was in a position to come into the hospital. Wilson was out, she didn't say where, she said she could just leave him a note. Cuddy thanked her and hung up, she then went into House's room and sat down by his bed. He was still out but she felt like she needed to be close to him for some reason. She was telling herself that she was being overly worried but it wasn't helping. She knew Leila would calm her down.

* * *

"Lisa?" Leila asked as she entered the room, Cuddy jerked awake, she hadn't even realized she had drifted off. She brought her hand over her mouth to cover a yawn and then forced a smile. House was still asleep, as far as either of them could tell, but that was about to change.  
  
"Hey, sorry, must have drifted off." She apologized, "House had an accident, but I'm not sure how much of it was an accident and how much he wanted me to think it was." She said, trying to keep her voice low. House groaned a bit.  
  
"Could you take this squawk fest outside of the room please?" He muttered. His head turned in the direction of their voices but he didn't look at them, he kept them shut. His voice was drained of any sort of energy or emotion for that matter. Not that he could at all be blamed for that with all he'd been through.  
  
"Oh, I see." Leila said, "Can I see you in the hall for a moment then? He doesn't sound too happy." Leila was worried and she knew to get the right answers out of House she was going to have to do that alone but should she tell Cuddy that in front of him he would know to lie and that she couldn't be trusted. She wasn't going to let him win that easily.  
  
"Yeah, sure." She said and stood up. Leila headed out into the hall. Cuddy noticed how different she looked, she was in jeans and a sweatshirt, her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, she had never looked more casual and relaxed. Maybe Wilson was doing just as much good for her as she was for him. On Leila's end, she had never seen Cuddy look more old or fragile. She looked ready to break at any moment, her skin was almost snow white, there were bags under her eyes. Leila was starting to regret that she demanded everything be done this way. Maybe House really needed to be checked in somewhere. She was destroying Cuddy by insisting that this be the way it was. She probably had helped him a lot and now it was just time to let her rest.  
  
"So what did you see when you found him?" Leila asked her, once they were in the hall. "What makes you think it wasn't an accident?"  
  
"Well, there's really no reason that the mirror should have been broken other than him punching it or doing it on purpose. He was on the floor like it was an accident but I mean it was too perfectly like an accident. Also his wrist was cut really close to the artery and almost too perfectly. It doesn't make sense." Cuddy explained, "But I am tired, too tired, I could be reading far too much into this because I'm scared. We've never been closer and I guess I expect fate to take that back or something. Sorry, I don't mean to be such a worrier here."  
  
"No it's not a problem. I'm sure it was an accident but in his state of mind it's probably better to check things out. You never know and he's incredibly smart so you may be right to question what was an accident and what wasn't." Leila said, "Let me talk to him alone, he won't tell the truth if you are in there." She smiled slightly and headed back into the room.

* * *

Cuddy sighed and looked in there nervously. She decided it might be best to get coffee, so she walked towards the end of the hall and when she rounded the corner she almost slammed right into Wilson. He wasn't supposed to be there, she had given him time off to stay with Leila, she understood it was important he recover from this as well.  
  
"Hey, why are you here? Did something happen to House?" Wilson asked seeming really upset for about ten seconds before pulling it back, "Not that I care. He's getting what's coming to him." He insisted, trying to appear like he was very casual about the whole thing.  
  
"James." Cuddy said slowly, "I understand that you are angry at him, and why, but being concerned for him doesn't negate that anger. You can still be very upset with him and care for him. Just cause you love someone doesn't mean you always like them." She looked up at him and he sighed gently.  
  
"But I do think he deserves this, all of it. He let himself destruct, he knew he was doing it, and it's time he pays up. I mean I feel bad that it must be hell for him, but I also know he completely deserves it. I'm kind of torn. Also, when he does come out of this detox, what does that mean for me and Leila. Is he going to stop pestering her? Is he still going to be a baby because I found someone else to spend time with? She doesn't hate him either, there's nothing saying he can't come hang out with the both of us, but I don't think he'd accept that either." Wilson frowned a bit, "Also I know she's been back to see you. I don't care, I just haven't confronted her. She's that kind of person, that she cares a lot. She's like no one I ever met before and I am in love. If he threatens that I will cut him off first."  
  
"I understand all of that, I really do. She is interesting, though I'm afraid all I really know about her is how good she is with her words. I saw her convince that Remy girl to calm down and that she didn't want to die. She only had one session with Remy and it sounds like she was speaking from experience, you'd know more than me at this point." Cuddy was still amazed at how Leila had done that, it was one of the most intense thing she had ever witnessed, one of them. It at least made her top ten list. As a doctor she had seen a lot. "However, maybe your best option here is to talk to him. I wouldn't tell you to do it now, though. I had to bring him in to get stitches, he got hurt and I'm not sure how much of an accident it was. Leila is in there right now trying to figure it out."  
  
"Really?" He asked, "Fuck. Cuddy, I don't think you can do this alone. You are too involved and he's such a wild card. You can't be with him every second of every day while he goes through this. He's far better off in a hospital. Also, you know that he's going to have to get his license back after this, right? He can't just hop right into being a doctor again?"  
  
"Yeah I know, I already have someone I am going to talk to so he can take over while House earns his way back. If he even wants to at this point. I really don't know what's up with him." She sighed, "I wouldn't suggest going in there to visit him, but that's just me, and right now I have no idea what he's thinking either." She felt like she was going to cry, so she looked down at the floor. Wilson moved in and pulled her into a hug.  
  
"You are an amazing woman, I know you love him, but you can't do this by yourself." He said softly, "He needs more help than you alone can provide." Cuddy wrapped her arms around him and started to cry softly. She knew he was right but the idea of locking House up was equally daunting. She knew he'd break on the inside as well. At least on the outside she could slow down the process, or so she hoped.

* * *

"I told you, yes, I got angry and punched the mirror. With the hand in the cast." House told Leila, holding up his cast covered hand, "See? There wouldn't have been any harm to me from that, I was protected, so if I would have had that in mind while I did it, why the fuck would I take the next step to hurt myself intentionally?" He was so insistent on this fact that she knew he was lying. He was protesting far too much for any of this to be an accident.  
  
"Alright, just calm down. No one is calling you a liar. Why did you punch the mirror though? What made you angry?" Leila asked him.  
  
"I'm a monster, and I am dragging Cuddy down, also you, and I don't know why I even care about you at all but I do. Okay? So there I admitted that." He folded his arms over his chest which was rather difficult because one of them had an IV in it and the other had a large cast on it. Leila sighed.  
  
"Yes but we both know it's far harder on you, and Cuddy care about you a lot, I'm sure she doesn't think you are a monster either. House, this is very difficult, I know it is. You will get through it though and having angry outbursts isn't going to help you." She said. She knew it hadn't been an angry outburst she knew there had been a motive, but he was hiding really well what. All she could hope to do was piss him off to a point where he'd just shout it at her. He kind of had a problem with verbal rage vomit when he got angry.  
  
"IT WASN'T AN ANGRY OUTBURST! IF I HAD MY DAMN VICODIN--" He shut up right at that point and then turned his head away. Things kind of clicked for her at that point, this had been about him trying to find vicodin. He had gotten upset, though why hadn't he found any? She hadn't followed up with Cuddy about any of that at all. She didn't know the woman had gone in there and found every last pill, except the stash behind the medicine cabinet.  
  
"Were you trying to get more?" She asked him slowly.  
  
"Leave." he told her softly. She eyed his wrist. It was covered with a bandage but blood was seeping through. It looked like he might have been scratching at it in his sleep. That was normal behavior though, stitches itched like hell.  
  
"Let me get you a clean bandage first." she said, "Then I'll leave, I promise." He looked at her. "If Cuddy comes in here and does it she'd going to get more worried even if I explain it's a natural thing to be picking at that in your sleep."  
  
"Fine. Just...don't talk to me while you do it." He snapped. She shrugged and went to grab a new bandage and some alcohol swabs to clean up the blood that had seeped out. She removed the bandage and tossed it into the biohazard bin before starting to clean up the stitched wound.  
House watched her work, he was hesitant to let her do this but far more scared of how Cuddy might react so he knew he had very little option. She was smart though, she was going to figure it out and he wanted her to hurry so she didn't have time to inspect the injury. He saw her eyes widen for a split second and then go back to neutral. Fuck. She figured it out. Well it was her fault anyway, he had known she knew all along and she had just left.  
She bandaged him up and then turned to leave. She still wasn't saying anything to him, why? Oh God she was going to tell Cuddy, she would run and tell Cuddy and he'd be locked up and in that case he actually would kill himself and it would be her damn fault. He wasn't going to a nut house. He wasn't nuts, he had every damn reason in the world to want to be dead right now. She should have alerted Cuddy to it before she left. He failed to see how this was his fault.  
  
"Say it." He told her before she could open the door.  
  
"Say what? I thought you wanted me to shut up." She turned to look at him.  
  
"You know I did it on purpose, I saw your eyes. Fucking tell me what you are about to tell Cuddy." He breathed.  
  
"So you did it on purpose?" She asked.  
  
"Don't play dumb bitch with me right now Leila." He threatened, "You saw the small cuts where I hesitated. That's the mark of someone who attempt suicide, hesitation cuts, right? The cuts to gear up to actually do it? And it might have actually worked had I not been so damn sick and shaky with blurred vision, when I realized I botched it and it was going to take forever to bleed out that's when I arranged the scene." He spat at her, "You tell that to Cuddy she's going to have a fit. You know it and I know it. So how about we keep this between us?" He said. She took in a deep breath and came back to the bed.  
  
"House, you can't keep doing this. If you don't have one person protecting you then you have another. I am not going to replace her as someone who does that. I owe you nothing, look at my face if you need further proof of that." She said.  
  
"Alright, then you be the one to tell her I did this on purpose with every intention of dying and leaving her alone right after we made love. You tell her that, cause I won't say a damn word. Watch what it does to her. You wanna live with that Ms. Loyal to no one all of the sudden. Have fun." he told her. He enjoyed the reaction she had, because her face got incredibly angry. In that moment he had regained that invisible leash over her that would dictate her actions. "That's right, you can't do it now can you?" He smiled. It was a genuine smile too. Was this what he needed? Power? To abuse someone even if it was just emotionally. She started to gather the spit in her mouth, to spit in his face but stopped.  
  
"Tell me why the mirror was the source of anger first and I won't tell her, however I will make sure you are far more heavily monitored. That's not a threat that's a promise." She said. He saw how her hands were shaking as they gripped the rail to the bed. If she was going to submit to him, and he had some sort of control back, maybe things wouldn't be so bad any more, the hell if he'd tell her that though.  
  
"Behind the mirror and I mean the entire cabinet there is a stash of vicodin, because of the cast and the other weakness I couldn't pull it off. I would have overdosed instead." He told her casually. He watched her lips curl into a sneer.  
  
"You're a dick." She breathed and then heard the door open and closed her eyes tightly.  
  
"House?" It was Wilson's voice. She almost started crying right then but held it together, for the sake of not exposing him. "Leila are you okay? You look ready to pounce..." he came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"I'm fine James. House can make anyone tense, this whole situation can. However he just agreed to let me come sit with him and Cuddy until he's clear of the drugs because he realizes Cuddy's kind of at the end of her rope and wouldn't want anything to hurt her further." House was smug as hell though, he knew she was trying to say she was threatening to tell Cuddy if he disagreed, he also knew it was a bluff, but it'd be fun to fuck with her for the next day or so while she hung around. It would give him a reason to live, a lot more control, and entertainment.  
  
"Yeah that seems cool. Maybe the two of them will get drunk and have a cat fight, which always leads to making out." House said. He loved the angry look in her eyes. She made herself turn from him, put on a more neutral face and look at Wilson.  
  
"Is that okay with you? I think Lisa needs a break, and I know you don't exactly want to put up with him either. It's fine, I'm trained with kind of thing." She said.  
  
"Yeah I mean, I don't want anything to happen to him." Wilson told her, "As much as I think you are a complete asshole I'd prefer you came out of this rather unscathed." He said.  
  
"Nice apology." House said.  
  
"It wasn't one, as I have nothing to apologize for. I really wish you'd stop doing this House, but you need to realize that Leila isn't going anywhere, at least when it comes to me. So, you learn to live with her, or you deal with me leaving this hospital so I don't have to watch you torture her every day." Wilson explained. House snorted, he doubted any of that would happen. He hadn't realized he had just told Cuddy the same thing before coming in there.  
  
"Where's Cuddy?" He asked.  
  
"She went to get some coffee and a breath of fresh air, she deserves it. You seem on the mend though, she'll probably have you out of here within the hour." Wilson said. He had his arm around Leila at that point but she still seemed way too damn tense to him, even though her face was telling a different story. What was she hiding? He knew that she had just stepped in something deep, and was rather aware of it, but she also didn't look willing to spill the beans any time soon if she was trying this hard to pretend everything was okay.  
  
"Then I guess I will see you both back at my place. Now will one of you get me a bedpan cause I have to piss and they didn't cath me." He said as if he now ran the world once again. Wilson was unsure of all of this but until someone started telling the truth, he knew it was useless to push. With people as stubborn as Leila and House it was kind of useless to pry. The thing that was different about Leila, though, was her breaking point was far weaker than House's.  
  
"I'll take care of it, Leila you should go find Cuddy and let her know that House is ready to leave." Wilson said gently. Leila nodded.  
"Yeah, I could use some fresh air as well." She said and then got on her toes, it was odd because she was wearing tennis shoes, and kissed him on the lips gently. She walked out of the room wanting to scream her brains out, and she probably would once she was outside and safely out of earshot of anyone who would care why she was so incredibly angry.


	11. Chapter 11

Cuddy let Leila into the apartment and the first thing she noticed was that the woman smelled like cigarette smoke, also she looked stressed. Both were odd things. She took Leila's coat as she shrugged it off and hung it up near the door. Leila picked up the bag she had brought, nothing out of the ordinary, it was clearly her bag from work with her computer and other things.  
  
"Do you smoke?" Cuddy asked, a bit confused as to why Leila smelled that way.  
  
"Not usually." She replied. "I know it's early but is there any vodka in this place?" She hadn't noticed that House was on the couch, of course at that point he sat up and made himself known, causing her to wince a bit a move that didn't go unnoticed by him or Cuddy.  
  
"All I had before you made that soup was booze, also some chips." House smiled at her, "Help yourself." She half glared at him and headed into the kitchen. Cuddy watched her, what had House done this time that she wasn't talking about? And she didn't usually smoke? She must be really stressed out.  
  
"House could you try to be a little nicer? She's clearly not in a good place." Cuddy said to him gently.  
  
"Not my fault." House said and then reached for the remote to turn on the TV. The shakes and pain had gotten better with him, but he still wasn't completely out of the woods. However the good news was they probably only needed about 24 hours of this at the most before he could be slightly trusted again. Cuddy knew it was his fault but she didn't feel like pointing it out in that moment. Instead she went into the kitchen where Leila was pouring a lot of vodka into a small glass of Coke.  
  
"Leila are you okay? You look like if I put a hand on your shoulder to comfort you, you'd shatter into a million pieces." Cuddy told her softly, not wanting House to hear. She gave Cuddy a glance and then took a few large gulps of the vodka and a little bit of coke.  
  
"I'm fine, really." She smiled weakly, all she could feel when she looked at Cuddy was how badly the woman would react if she told what House had attempted to do. What was worse, was that House seemed a million times better now that he had found out he could control one of them again. Even more, she felt like if she could keep his focus on her with someone to mind fuck, then Cuddy would escape the abuse and that's exactly what she needed right now. She was doing it for Cuddy, not for House. Though she knew this was not something she could keep up forever or even long term. She was going to have to figure out how to get him to stop behaving this way before she lost it, and she didn't think there was an hour of energy in her in order to do that.

* * *

Luckily, by the time she and Cuddy went back into the living room, House didn't seem interested in either of them and was watching some cheap porn movie on TV. Cuddy came over to him and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. Leila heard her say something softly about how she was going to get some sleep and to give Leila a bit of a break because she was upset. Which was the exact wrong thing to tell him but if she started yelling it would just intrigue House more.  
  
"Alright," He took her hand and squeezed it gently, "believe it or not I feel a million times better." He looked up at her sweetly, which caused Leila to just down the rest of her drink. Now she was a bit tipsy because she had barely had time to eat anything before she was called by Cuddy early that morning. At least the alcohol would keep her calm. As Cuddy passed him, he slapped her ass and she cried out in mock offense but then smiled and headed into the bedroom.  
  
"You are still an asshole you know." She said, her words slurring slightly.  
  
"What do I care, I have you wrapped around my finger right now. That is fun for me." He smiled and she saw his hand start to reposition under the blanket Cuddy had just draped over him. It went down to his crotch and then stopped. She didn't say anything about it, but that was interesting. "Tell me, what could I get you to do with this information we both hold?" He asked her.  
  
"Nothing, I'm barely holding onto it as it is." She said, "You are lucky I feel more loyalty to her than to you, or she'd know right now." Leila told him, and she was being serious. She had been thinking the best time to tell Cuddy was after she'd gotten a full eight hours of sleep, so now it was t-minus eight hours in counting. Once the woman was in a place where she was less fragile, and could handle the information more, she would deliver it. Then she could let her decide how to proceed because she was done keeping secrets.  
  
"I bet I could get sexual favors out of it." He told her.  
  
"You and her made love before all this, your words not mine, and now you want to fuck me? You don't even like me." She said and then looked at her watch, not knowing why she did that because even if by some miracle Cuddy had fallen asleep in the past three minutes, that wasn't close to the eight hour time limit. Why was he doing this? What was his game? What was the deeper issue at play here? She continued to try to study his behavior but was impaired by her vodka soaked brain.  
  
"Love and sex are two different things, further more this is far less about sex and far more about humiliation." He told her, "You are some awesome psychiatrist if you failed to realize that." He rolled his eyes. She noticed slight movement under the blanket, was he touching himself? Was he getting off on this? Damn, this was a whole different can of worms now. However she now had a theory and like any theory it needed to be tested. If it was proven true she had a plan of action, if false, then she would be more screwed than when it started. Her drunken brain wouldn't let her stop now though.  
  
"Oh no I picked up on that." She said softly, "You into humiliation, House? Why? Does it get you off?" She was no stranger to Dom/sub relationships. She was a switch, she studied the behavior and was in the lifestyle, something she still had yet to tell Wilson. She was trying to prevent him from freaking out because when she started to tell him, it was all going to come out and he didn't exactly seem like the type of guy that was much past the vanilla stage of sex life.  
  
"Who gets off on that?!" He snapped at her, okay now he was angry, she had trapped him. Though she'd play his game if that's what he wanted. She cleared her throat, she was going to prove it to him in a way he couldn't deny it. Though once she had this leverage on him it would even them out and she could suggest ways to help him. Her main suggestion was him exploring a Dom/sub thing with Cuddy, and not her.  
  
"Lots of people it's not uncommon. My whole thesis was on BDSM and Dom/sub relationships. I probably know far more about it than you do." She said, "Besides, look at you and how you must feel humiliated half the day with that cane and that limp. It wouldn't only be natural for you to get off on the humiliation of others. Causing pain too, you are probably a sadist." She told him.  
  
"Shut up, you are so wrong with this you have no idea." He rolled his eyes. The movement under the blanket stopped for the moment, but she was still going to continue with it.  
  
"I'm going to tell you a story." She said, "If you don't react to it then I'll know. Call it a test." She said to him slowly, "You don't have to do anything but let me observe you while I tell it. If I am unsatisfied that it does anything for you when I'm done talking, I'll drop it." He looked at her, this was a challenge and she knew he'd have to take it. He'd have to do everything in his powers to prove her wrong even though she was 100% sure at that point he'd lose.  
  
"Alright. Also, you have to make more of that soup if you lose. That was awesome." He said.  
  
"Fine." She smiled, "The first night I hung out with Wilson we were playing video games. I was drinking far too much, and it got to a point where I really had to pee but I was too drunk to notice it. By the time it got really bad, I stood up but he ended up making me laugh too much and I had to sit back down again. I mean it was really bad, and I was getting scared that there was no way I would make it to the bathroom without pissing myself. I mean, I couldn't do that in front of him, I am the head of psych at a prestigious hospital, and it's our first date, what would he think of me? I'd be nothing but a dirty little skank if I pissed myself." The hand movement under the blanket started again, she seemed to have his rapt attention, he wasn't saying anything, his breathing had increased, he was getting off on this. She hated the fact that she loved that though he was getting off on her humiliation she was getting off on the control she had over him in that moment. He was hers and that turned her on.  
  
"Finally I told him, that I really had to go, but I tripped over my dog, Sawyer. He started to lick my face and I started to laugh, and I mean really laugh cause I was drunk. Moments later I had pissed myself. It was horrible, there was so much of it. I scrambled to my feet and ran out of there. I was in tears, what the hell was Wilson going to think of me? I was mortified, it was probably the worse situation I had ever been in. I mean yeah I was drunk but that wasn't an excuse. Who want's a dirty slut who can't even control her bladder and--" She paused when she heard him grunt. Signifying his orgasm. "Don't get off on humiliation huh?" She laughed.  
  
"Fuck you." He breathed and then groaned he moved so he was laying on his back, trying to catch his breath. She grabbed some tissues and walked over to him.  
  
"House, you just came because you heard something about me that was extremely embarrassing, you saw me as weak, pathetic, and humiliated and that's one of the worst things that can happen to an adult. You fucking loved it." She held the tissues out over his face and he grabbed them with the hand that was in the cast, thankfully keeping the one he used on himself under the blanket, "I don't care because I understand the fetish. However, what you are trying to do to me is the same thing. You do realize it's nothing to be ashamed of, lots of people--"  
  
"Don't you think I fucking KNOW that? Jesus Christ Leila, I've been in the lifestyle longer than you've been alive. Cuddy is not going to like that so you need to shut the fuck up right now." He snapped at her. His voice was so powerful that she actually took a step back. No wonder he had denied it so hard, he didn't want Cuddy to know. However, this problem could still be easily solved. Cuddy would be his sub, but it would take a hell of a lot of convincing him this. The thing was, she was positive that the woman would do it, even if she knew nothing of the life just yet. The way she bowed to him, protected him, took his verbal abuse, and kept coming back and loving him. She would be his sub, he would say that it was different, that their relationship was unique and it wasn't possible, she was seeing this from the outside and she knew.  
  
"Cuddy isn't going to react that way. However, I will keep this between us. This whole thing, you cumming from my story and you trying to kill yourself. If that's what you want. It's a bad idea though, House. I want to give the ultimatum that you tell her one or the other. You'll benefit far more from telling her about your BDSM thing than your attempted suicide but you are an adult and I can't force you to do anything right now." She said to him. "Keep destroying your life if you want, let her pick up the pieces and me grab the ones she can't. But you are going to be miserable if you keep holding onto all of this shit." He looked at her and opened his mouth to speak when there was a knock on the door. Of course this caused him to shut up. She sighed, who the hell was there now? She headed to the door and opened it quickly.  
  
"Leila." It was Wilson, and as usual he was all smiles the moment he saw her face. This could be a huge problem because she was horny, still a bit drunk, and House had gotten her riled. Of course in turn she had riled him and now it was just going to be a bad situation. She should have never told him that story, but her need to be right was so strong it just came out of her. "Hey I was kind of worried about you so I thought you could use kind of a buffer between him and you." He came in more, he was holding a bag in his hand, it smelled like some sort of teriyaki dish and she was starving at that point.  
  
"Food?" She asked and grabbed the bag, "Thank you so much!" she pulled him into a hungry kiss before the door could even shut. Before she knew what was going on she was losing control and pressing against him, rubbing into him rather urgently. He groaned into her mouth and pushed her back gently.  
  
"Uh okay didn't know you were that hungry." He smiled, his face was flushed with arousal. She started to blush and looked down at the floor.  
  
"Sorry I...I must be that hungry." She said, "I'm going to eat before I lose more control of myself." She headed into the kitchen but before she could get there, House laughed.  
  
"She's horny, she was well before you arrived." House said, and this caused her to freeze. "She's into some kinky shit."  
  
"And you aren't?" She snapped back at him.  
  
"See the difference here is, he'll be surprised to hear you are, not that I am. You lost again, Leila." He laughed and sat back on the couch with a smug smile. She let out a muted rage scream and stormed into the kitchen. This seriously could not be any worse. He always kept finding a way to flip things back on her. Wilson looked at him and then towards the kitchen.  
  
He was rather surprised to hear that, but he hadn't let his expression show it, he wouldn't give House the satisfaction. "Well considering her and I have had sex already I can't be that surprised. I have no idea why you are so intent on ruining what I have with her but I'm fine with her kink, House." He said and then went after Leila and into the kitchen. He didn't stick around to see the look on House's face as he crushed whatever power he thought he had.

* * *

Cuddy couldn't sleep, not at all. Leila had told her it was an accident once she got outside but she knew, she knew in her heart that House had tried to kill himself. It was eating her up inside and she didn't like that she was being lied to. She understood why Leila felt the need to do it but she didn't understand why he felt the need to. All of this shit had happened in the first place because he hid things from her, not for any other reason. Had he told her his fears about her loving him to begin with, he may have never been an addict.  
  
The most confusing part was they had just made love for the first time in many years before he had tried, and yet why would he do that if...to leave her with a good memory of him. Fuck, it was so obvious, yet she wanted so badly to believe that he was okay and it was just a mistake that she couldn't let herself believe until now that it had all been on purpose.  
  
She twisted and turned more, how could he think that was the right thing to do? Obviously his mentality would be that he would be dead, she'd have one last nice memory of him, and he wouldn't have to deal with her bitching at him about what an asshole move that had been. She just wanted to punch him for that. He was still being so incredibly selfish. She was going to have to lay it down for him. Let him know she wasn't stupid, and she knew exactly what he had been up to. She had to tell him that this was not a game and that he either started owning up to how he felt or she really would walk. She also had to make the last part sound believable because she knew she couldn't walk. Yet if he had been in such a fragile state of mind that he was trying to kill himself, it might sound like a possibility if she did it right now.  
She got out of bed and headed out into the living room. House was still watching porn, and she didn't see Leila. When Wilson arrived she hadn't heard it, so she had no idea that he was there. It didn't matter though, because even if Leila was in the same room right now she was going to say what she had to say and to hell with the consequences.  
  
"House, you tried you kill yourself." She accused, and it was an accusation, not a question or anything that left any room for speculation.  
  
"WHAT?!" He snapped, "LEILA!"  
  
"Leila!?" Cuddy snapped, "The fuck does she have to do with this?" Of course this caused Leila to come into the room, Wilson close behind her.  
  
"Why are people mad at me now?" She asked slowly, looking from Cuddy to House. What had just happened? God the tension in that room was akin to the last few seconds before a timed bomb was going to go off.  
  
"You said you weren't going to tell her! Clearly that's the first God damn thing you did when you went to see her outside!" He yelled.  
  
"Are you KIDDING ME!? Why did I come in here and start drinking if I told her? You are fucking delusional you bastard! Maybe I should put you on a psych hold!" She screamed and started to move towards him. Wilson, not liking the look in her eyes and knowing she was kind of drunk quickly pulled her back.  
  
"Leila, come on, you are hungry and a bit drunk. Calm down." He said slowly, "What is going on here?" Of course that prompted House to shut up and look extremely upset. She knew he wasn't going to say a damn thing about this now.  
  
"I figured it out myself you asshole. I'm not stupid, not even close. The difference between me and her, is that I actually wanted to believe you are better than that. She holds no loyalty to you. That's why it took me this long. I'm utterly shocked she even felt the need to protect you. It must have been torture for her!" Cuddy yelled at him, "You are such a CHILD! NO ONE CAN FUCKING HELP YOU IF YOU DON'T ASK THEM TO!" Now she was in his face laying down the law. Leila felt her lip tremble, only because she was so damn happy Cuddy was finally having this moment and maybe it would get him to stop hiding.  
  
"Cuddy--"  
  
"NO! You don't get to talk! How in the WORLD were you going to kill yourself after the moment we had? After the love we felt and the connection we made! What kind of odd logic went on in that brain of yours to tell you THAT was the proper solution?" She screamed. She knew she had lost it, she had snapped, she was not going to let him get away with jack shit at that point he either talked or she walked that was the end of it.  
  
"It just would have been better that way." He said softly.  
  
"BETTER HOW YOU ASSHOLE!?" She screamed.  
  
"With me dead, the pain would eventually end. You'd grieve for a year and get on with it. It wouldn't have exactly been a surprising end for me either so you'd be able to justify it as some crazy thing I did. With me continuing to be alive, in your life, and screw it up, you face far more pain than if I just ended it right now." He told her. His voice was calm but in a weird, eerie calm way that she didn't like. It was scaring her. Was he still considering this? He didn't seem to be after Leila talked to him, so whatever happened between that point and this had given him something to live for, some sense of meaning. What had it been though? How could she give that to him because Leila clearly had. Not that she thought Leila had done it knowingly either, House had a twisted way of looking at life.  
  
"That's not even close to the truth. As hard as it gets sometimes at least you are here, you are breathing, and there is a chance for redemption. Every ounce of pain you put me through can be eased if you are here. By ending it, and leaving everything open, you would cause me eternal pain, no rest, House I need you here. Despite the pain you think you cause me, dying would be even worse for me. PLEASE understand this." She said and took his hands tightly. He wouldn't look at her. "House I can't do this forever. You need to start saying these things to me or I will give up. Right now you still have me, and I still love you, you keep this up and you won't." That did get him to look at her.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why what?"  
  
"Why do you love me?" He asked. She took in a deep breath, she didn't even know if she could put it into words. It was a feeling that was almost embedded into her brain and now he wanted her to describe why?  
  
"How could I not? You are amazing. You are brilliant, quick witted, and believe it or not you do have a huge heart you just don't want others to see it. Most people don't, however the people in this room do or they wouldn't fucking be here either. Even Leila sees it some how and you smashed her face in. If they can see it too and I can see it and we haven't left even with all the shit you've thrown at us, how can you think I am lying?" She asked and then lost it. She started to cry harshly, "Please, I am so tired, I am so tired and I can't rest knowing that you may die that any second someone isn't watching you, you are going to end it because you have some weird idea that the reason we are here is because we hate you or you are a liability that we don't want to get sued over. None of us are here for that reason we are here because we care. Please House...please stop." She begged him through her sobs. He pulled her into a tight hug holding her close. She just pressed her face into him and cried, she cried harder than she could ever remember. So much that she was sure she had pulled a muscle in her chest with the effort it took.  
  
Leila and Wilson watched on, but Leila saw something happen in him. She'd never be able to say if it was a change in his expression, or just some weird shift in his aura but she knew he had gotten the message. Cuddy needed to look at him and see this as well, because it was some how clear, even when she looked up at Wilson she knew he had seen it. There had been a shift, it just didn't seem Cuddy had felt it as well.  
  
"Then I think you and I and Leila need to discuss some things. She...she made a suggestion to me before you came in here that I think could help the two of us." He said and his voice was serious, not glib, not annoyed, he actually sounded like he wanted that help.  
  
"What did you say to him?" Wilson whispered softly.  
  
"I'll explain it later." she promised him and he just put his arm around her and pulled her in close. Though at least between him and her she also felt a shift, because of the fact that both of them knew he was ready, he had been able to drop a huge weight from his chest and so had she. Things would be a bit easier now, knowing House they wouldn't be a hell of a lot easier but not soul crushingly bad any more.  
  
"House I..." She moved her head back and looked at him, "You're serious aren't you?" She wiped her eyes gently, they were bloodshot at that point, she just had yet to realize it.  
  
"Yeah I am. She made a good point and I think she's right. I hate saying that but I do think it." He said, in true House form. Cuddy laughed a bit, nervous energy escaping her because she had thought this would end badly but it seemed that whatever needed to click in his brain had when she had her emotional outburst.  
  
"You don't want to die?"  
  
"No. I want to be here with you and make the most of what time we do have left." He said, "It's not a joke, I will work on this with you if you let her explain to you what she did to me." He said and moved some hair out of her face before giving her a soft kiss. She kissed him back, still loving and hating the scruff that lined his face. It was okay, though, because it meant he was still alive. He was still there and he was still trying to be okay. She didn't know what it was either but she did feel it in the air. She knew he was ready, and though she had absolutely no idea what the hell Leila might have suggested to him that he was actually willing to try, she knew she was going to jump into it with ever ounce of energy she had in her body. She wasn't going to lose him, because now she was sure he was just as ready for something serious as she was.


	12. Chapter 12

A week had passed, and Cuddy had never seen House more happy. She wasn't sure why, maybe cause they were fucking like jack rabbits or it was that talk they had with Leila the day after House's rather massive breakdown and hers. She had liked what Leila said more than she had let on, far more, but she wasn't going to let House know it. In the session they had together she said she'd try it out but she didn't have any experience. The truth was she had some, but it hadn't ever gone beyond silk ties and gentle spankings. Dirty talk as well, being called a slut or whore. She kept it to the bedroom, obviously, and she wasn't a stranger to the whole deal but it wasn't something she regularly practiced. However, should she tell House any of this, he'd have a field day. The thing was this kept them both very horny for each other because Leila kept telling them not to do anything to over exert themselves until she could get them to the club and show them a few things, give them a tour.  
  
House made it rather clear to Cuddy how involved he was, how long he'd been practicing, and what he knew. She was rather impressed with him. She wasn't surprised though. This seemed like something right up his alley. He was House, always looking for the best of everything. The best orgasm, the best high, the best event he could experience. She also knew he was kinky, any time any one made any vague reference to anything at work he always immediately knew what they meant, and he was always throwing out vague references of his own so this was just something she guessed she was waiting for him to admit not breaking news.  
  
He had also been much better with the whole idea that Leila and Wilson were now a couple. On day three, after she had sobbed in his arms and begged him to stop being so horrible, he took them all out to dinner, at Leila's favorite restaurant and paid. He paid rather in a House way, talking about dining and dashing and gently joking that Leila not get the dish she wanted because it was really expensive, but in the end he had done everything he said he would. She knew it was his way of thanking her and Wilson even though he never once used the words. Whatever had happened, was for the best, and she was glad. Now the time had come, though, for the four of them to gather at this BDSM club. She had never been to one and she was rather nervous.  
  
House was dressed in a black t-shirt and black jeans with his matching tennis shoes. He looked sexy as fuck, though he always did so she guessed as long as she stayed with him things would be okay. Leila had said they should just observe this time, and talk about limits. Also talk to other Doms and subs there, get an idea of how a relationship like that worked. Had this been prior to House detoxing she would have never trusted he could keep this a secret from anyone, however after watching him break like that and him seeing her as low as she was, it became clear to her that he knew this was no longer a game of who could piss who off more.  
  
She was just in a black dress that was rather modest, the hem rested just above her knees. It was low cut and hugged her curves, making her large ass even more apparent. House had told her to wear it in an off the cuff remark and she decided to listen. On her feet were matching black stilettos and she had gone for the thigh high stockings and garter belt this time instead of actual pantyhose. She thought that was way more sexy, especially with the black lace thong she was wearing. She thought when they got home, she could fuck him and still keep most of the clothes on, he'd been wanting that for a while but she kept refusing, saying that it would make her feel too much like she was in a cheap porn, though the idea turned her on to no end.  
  
Though she had no idea what Leila had told Wilson about this, or why he thought he was going to a BDSM club with them. She had given her permission to explain things to Wilson, as he could be trusted, House just didn't care. To him, the more people who knew she was about to become his sub, the better. He'd do all this at the hospital if he could, she was sure of it, and it honestly didn't bother her that Wilson was a part of this anyway. It wasn't like the four of them were mandated to have an orgy now. She clutched her purse as they headed to the entrance of the club.  
  
"You look like you are about to puke." House laughed as he rang the bell on the outside. The place was called 'The Leather Knot' and seemed to be the most unmarked place ever. It was in a warehouse behind another warehouse and there was just a small sign above the door. She had no idea what she was getting into or why the door said something about offering 'edge play' as well, because she had no idea what that meant, but she hoped this wasn't a bad move on her end.  
  
"I'm fine, I've just never done anything like this before." She told him and then leaned against him gently. He wrapped an arm around her and the door opened. There was a huge guy standing there, the likes of which Cuddy had never seen. He had to be at least seven feet tall, either that or he was just so muscular he looked like he could be that tall.  
  
"Who you here to see?" He asked in a voice to match his size.  
  
"Leila Dawson, she said she's a member." House spoke confidently. It was just like him not to be intimidated by anyone of any size and Cuddy was hoping that he didn't do something to piss this guy off cause he'd probably be dead on the ground with a broken neck in three seconds.  
  
"Mistress Dawson." He muttered and looked over the names on the paper he was holding, "House and Cuddy?" He asked them.  
  
"Mistress Dawson?" House asked and then started to laugh.  
  
"Yeah that's us, do you need ID?" She asked trying to get House to shut up by punching him in the arm, and none to gently either.  
  
"Ow!" He yelled as if that had actually hurt and started to rub his arm.  
  
"Nah, y'all is cool." He said and backed up so they could walk in. When they did, Cuddy was rather surprised to see that this was a very nice dwelling. They entered into a foyer, very modern decor. There was a bar at one end of the room but she didn't see any alcohol anywhere on the walls. It was a nice bar, and drinks were being served but this seemed to be a dry club. That was good and bad, she'd want a drink to calm her down, however serving alcohol at a place like this could cause things to get out of control very quickly and obscure the lines of consensual behavior. That would leave the place open to lawsuits and no one would want that.  
  
"She's totally going to own Wilson's balls in a month, I mean she practically does already but wow, Mistress?" House was still on that topic and Cuddy was trying to ignore him, but apparently he found this way funny. There weren't a lot of people there, and for such an expensive looking place that seemed odd to her. There were a lot of doors, though, one of them was marked 'dungeon' the other one 'edge play' dungeon. Then there was a sign that had an arrow on it that pointed to VIP rooms. What the hell was edge play? Why was no one explaining this to her?  
  
"Lisa!" She heard Leila from behind her. She turned to see Leila approaching with Wilson, the other people there were on the couches or scattered about, talking softly. There was music playing, classic rock, but not overly loud like a typical night club. The atmosphere was amazing, though there were people smoking in there. "I knew he'd show up, I was kind of worried about you." Leila was dressed in a tight, black, leather dress. It was short, strapless, low cut and made her look more sexy than Cuddy had ever seen her. Her long hair had been pulled back into a french braid. Wilson was behind her, his arm around her like he was very God Damn proud of the fact that this woman was his girlfriend and he should be. She was very hot.  
  
"Wow....what the fuck did you do with Leila Dawson?" House asked her, "Jesus I could drown in that cleavage."  
  
"Shut up." Leila told him, "I have a VIP room, we should go there first and talk about things. This place has a lot of rules and you two have to sign a consent form."  
  
"What?" Cuddy asked, "Why?"  
  
"Don't worry it's nothing fancy. It basically covers the clubs ass if you use the equipment wrong and hurt yourself. Nothing more than that." She explained and started to walk towards the VIP rooms. "You must be damn proud of yourself right now Wilson." House said as he grabbed Cuddy's hand and started to walk with them, pulling her along with him.  
  
"You have no idea. You know she likes women?" He said like a kid on Christmas morning.  
  
"You hit the jack pot."  
  
"Okay I explained this to you James, I like people, I don't care what genitals are attached to them." She laughed, "You are really cute though, you are the happiest I've ever seen you." She pulled him into a quick kiss once they stopped by a door that said 7A on it. She entered a code and then pushed the door open.  
  
Cuddy was now even more unsure of this. They had to sign a consent form? Equipment there could be dangerous if used wrong? What was she getting into? And still, what the fuck was edge play? That was the question she wanted answered first. She was the last to enter the room and she saw how amazing it was. It was rather old fashioned, most of the stuff out of the victorian era, well the design anyway. Old style fainting couches with leather fabric. A small service bar, a beautiful queen sized bed with an amazing lace canopy and a flat screen TV on the wall across from it. There was a door there as well that she assumed led to a bathroom.  
  
"Leila this room is amazing." She said softly.  
  
"Well I've been renting it for so long they practically gave it to me when I bought part ownership to this place." She laughed a bit, "I only did that recently. When my parents died one of the Masters here was selling his stock in it and I gave him more than a fair deal."  
  
"But how does this place make money? We didn't pay to get in." House said and then went over to the service bar and grabbed himself a soda like he owned the place. Cuddy rolled his eyes, he always knew how to make himself at home without asking for permission for anything.  
  
"That's cause you are talking to part owner, did you miss that whole conversation?" She asked him and then chuckled slightly.  
  
"Was kind of looking at that painting so yeah." House said and motioned to a painting of a naked Asian woman in Japanese rope bondage hanging behind the bar. Cuddy's eyes were now drawn to it as well, it was a huge painting, how had she missed it. It was beautiful though, and suddenly her brain entertained thoughts of being tied up like that and House being the one in control and she started to blush.  
  
"Anyway, the cover charge here is fifty dollars a night, a hundred for the parties. However if you are a member and pay the monthly dues you get in for free any time you want. Most of the people who come here are members, and that's good because to become one you need a background check. We have to trust the people here, because if we don't there could be massive problems." Leila told them and then sat down on one of the couches. Wilson followed her like the happiest looking guy on the planet. This made Cuddy smile, she never thought of him as someone who would like any of this but Leila was changing him for the better, as he was her. It was an interesting relationship between them to say the least.  
  
"Well slap my ass and call me Sally." House said and then sat down. "Why no booze? You think for that much money there'd be an open bar."  
  
"You really think it's a good idea for people to get drunk and then practice bondage, House?" Wilson asked. Apparently all of them realized what a bad idea that was except House. Cuddy took a seat across from Leila and Wilson and crossed her legs modestly.  
  
"Now that I think of it, no not really. No wonder you wanted to make sure all the junk was out of my system before bringing me here." He said. He sat down next to Cuddy and pulled her in close to him, "But where does all that money go if it's not for top shelf alcohol?"  
  
"Well, you haven't seen the dungeon yet. For one, all the toys are for public use, however you have to sign them out. All of them are top of the line, but because they are used by different people every night they also have to be cleaned, and trust me, they are. The equipment has to be maintained, and some items can't be used more than once due to hygiene issues. So the member don't want to have to worry about being billed, we use the money to take care of everything so no one has to consider what kind of tab they are running." Leila smiled, "Then we have to pay the people who do all these jobs and a lot of them are specialized, as in maintaining the equipment so there's that as well. Not to mention that we do serve food and soft drinks...the money is used properly. The rest is profit."  
  
"Interesting. Is there a way to invest in this place?" House asked.  
  
"I think we are putting the cart before the horse with that statement, House." Cuddy told him and rested her head on his shoulder. She was wondering what the hell items couldn't be reused here due to hygiene issues. "Leila, what's edge play?" She asked.  
  
"Something that you are not even close to being ready for so it's not worth explaining...don't you dare do it either House." Leila cut him off before he could even start.  
  
"WHY!?" He whined like a small child who felt annoyed with his mother.  
  
"If you want her to agree to the mild stuff, are you going to start by telling her about the scary stuff?" Leila asked him like he was stupid. He grumbled under his breath about how she was a bitch, Cuddy caught the statement but she didn't think that Leila did, or if she did it didn't appear she cared.  
  
"Okay fine stop making so much sense you are making me look bad." House said.  
  
"What is it though? Why is it scary?" She asked.  
  
"Lisa, trust that this is something you aren't ready to hear. I was barely ready to hear it when Leila told me." Wilson said, "You want to be kept in the dark for the moment. If they see you are doing okay they'll work you up to it." Cuddy didn't like the fact that they were trying to coddle her here, as if she couldn't handle something but she decided it was for the best. If there was something they were all assuring her was 'scary' then maybe she didn't need to know just yet. It wasn't like they were denying her from knowing period, they were just telling her to wait, and with what she was about to attempt anyway it probably was better to start at the beginning. One didn't just jump into quantum physics without knowing math first.  
  
"You know they call your girlfriend Mistress here, right?" House asked Wilson. It was in such a way that it sounded like he was trying to expose a well kept secret.  
  
"No House I had NO idea." Wilson rolled his eyes, "Believe me over the past week I've learned a lot, and I know all about her and what she's into. We've come to an understanding that we are both very happy with. Can't say I know as much as you now, but I seem to be a rung above Cuddy on this ladder."  
  
"Thanks." Cuddy said and then let out kind of a nervous chuckle.  
  
"Lisa, take a deep breath. I told you that tonight neither of you have to do anything. Just observe." Leila tried to reassure her. "IT'll be fine."  
  
"I know I just. I've never done anything like this beyond reading books and let me tell you, those books were insanely inaccurate to what you are telling me right now." Cuddy said. Of course this caused all of them to pause and look at her like she had just took the lords name in vain. "What?"  
  
"You said you didn't know anything about this." House said, "What have you been reading? Horrible fan fiction?" He laughed loudly.  
  
"Shut up." She muttered.  
  
"Lisa most of the stuff that it's out there is horribly inaccurate, written by people who've never been to a place like this, or teenage girls who think something sounds cool but it's not. Here is as real as you will get and if you want accurate books to read I can give you a list." Leila said, "House you need to shut up and thank your lucky stars she's trying."  
  
"Sorry, sorry, you're right. Why the fuck do I keep using those words together to describe you?" He asked. She stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"Now, we are going to go into the dungeon to observe. The public one, there are private ones just for couples and I think--"  
  
"What? You want us to watch strangers do this?" Cuddy asked, she didn't like that idea.  
  
"You need to get some idea of what you are in for," Leila said and then laughed, "What did you expect? To watch me and Wilson?"  
  
"FUCK YES!" House yelled and stood up, "I WANNA SEE THAT SHIT RIGHT NOW!"  
  
"Okay House, calm down." Cuddy laughed at his intense reaction to Leila's obviously sarcastic comment.  
  
"House I don't think you are going to be watching me do anything to her, so just shove that idea right out of your head." Wilson said and took Leila's hand, though he did look over at her like he needed reassurance of this statement. He didn't like the look in her eyes and he knew she was probably about to offer them a compromise. It turned him on like hell but made him equally as nervous. "Leila please say something."  
  
"No, they should observe people, and I think Cuddy would feel better if it was someone like me so I could explain to her what's going on and clear up any misconceptions she has." Leila said, turning to look at him. "I mean she trusts both of us, and knows I won't lie to her."  
  
"Yeah but if you are a Mistress, you'd be dominating him and I don't want to put Wilson in that--"  
  
"I'm a switch, Lisa. I can easily be sub to him, it'll be okay. Besides he could use the practice." Leila smiled. What happened next was kind of funny because both the men in there let out some sort of weird, stifled groan at this idea. This caused Cuddy to snicker. "However House needs to tell you what his main investment in this is, first."  
  
"Huh?" House asked suddenly becoming the one to clam up all of the sudden.  
  
"What do you mean?" Cuddy asked and looked at House, "What is she talking about?"  
  
"Nothing." House said, "Leila you are being weird, she knows what this is. For me to have control, for her to be submissive." House insisted, which of course signified to her that there was something else to it that he wasn't sharing.  
  
"What did we talk about House? That you were going to need to tell her everything as she was going to need to tell you everything. So spill it or nothing happens." Leila said sternly. Her voice taking on a very dominant tone that Cuddy actually found sexy but she didn't want to admit to. House swallowed hard, it didn't look like he was going to talk. "Cuddy, you keep in mind that when we here there is no judging, not of him, me, Wilson, or any other behavior you see here. Understand. If you don't agree with something he suggests keep in mind it's a suggestion and not something you are required to do. But keep an open mind that not everyone here is going to be doing things that you find appealing."  
  
"I....I uh...I can do that. I mean as long as I'm not forced into something I don't want to do I can't see how other behavior would affect me, right?" Cuddy asked, but they were kind of scaring her because she was starting to think House wanted something really bizarre and that's why he wasn't speaking up. "House, look I am rather aware you are into weird things, and with references you've made at work and your vast knowledge of things here that I clearly have no grasp on, do you think I'll care about you liking something you consider odd?"  
  
"Cuddy." He took her hand gently, "I'm really into humiliation. Dominating a person and controlling them. Power trips, mind fucking, and making a sub feel worthless. That's what I get off on." He said, not willing to spill the part about him being a sadist yet. He hadn't even told Leila that yet because he was pissed that she had him pegged for that as well and was 100% correct. He hated that woman was so dead on with shit. It would give her too much pleasure as of now to know she had read him like a book, at least when it came to this aspect of his life.  
  
"That's what you were afraid to tell me? I already was very aware of that." She laughed a bit, "I assumed that at your worst with me you went somewhere and jacked off after, I saw how worked up you got when you found out that I was powerless to stop you from doing something. That's not news. However I just want to know how you intend to start this with me." She smiled. House looked over at Leila.  
  
"Don't look at me, you never told me any of what you had in mind." Leila shrugged. House sighed and then looked back at Cuddy.  
  
"I kind of...well where I'd start is with things like calling me Master and sir, only here though. You being on your knees a lot. Spanking and light restraints." He told her seriously. Cuddy felt a chill go through her, not a bad one, one of extreme arousal. She was guessing it was because on some level she enjoyed the humiliation he gave to her at work on a daily basis and to take part in it was rather arousing to her. This time it would be consensual and he'd know and working together instead of against each other would build up the tension into an amazing orgasm.  
  
"That sounds, amazing." She was finally able to breathe.  
  
"Really?" House asked.  
  
"Yeah, really." She smiled and pulled him into a kiss.  
  
"Okay that went better than I expected." Wilson said, "But you really want House to see you as a sub?"  
  
"No, but I want her to feel comfortable, so I guess I could put aside that weird feeling for a bit. Besides, he had to muster a lot of courage for what he just did and I want him to keep doing it. It's not going to be an issue, James. Really. Besides we've done a lot of stuff this week and you are good at it. You have nothing to worry about either. Maybe if he sees how dominant you can be he'll stop jerking your chain as well." She laughed.  
  
"Fat chance of that." House said, but he didn't move his eyes from Cuddy's, "Can we go to the dungeon now, before she changes her mind?" he asked softly.  
  
"Yeah, come on. It's just down the hall." Leila said and stood up. She took Wilson's hand and pulled him to his feet as well. Cuddy was very thankful that Leila was willing to do this for her. It would be far better for her to watch a couple she knew, so she didn't feel like she was intruding upon some other kind of private scene. This way she'd know it was okay to watch, ask questions, and her fears could be calmed about anything she saw by the sub in question. She would have to find a way to thank her later for all she was doing.

* * *

Once they got into one of the private dungeons Cuddy looked around. She saw some things she knew, only because she knew them from light bondage videos she had seen, and some she had no idea what they were. She walked in and looked around, she started to put her hands on different things just to get a better sense of what they were and how they'd feel against her skin.  
  
"So uh...how do we start this?" She asked softly.  
  
"Well, House said he wanted you on your knees a lot and I think we all know what that means, he also said spanking right?" Leila asked and headed over to the wall. There were some wooden paddles over there and she grabbed one. The word "slut" was carved through the middle of it in nicely placed letter holes. "He knows the best starter paddles to use, this would be one of them, smooth, lighter wood. Though I don't know you, you should have him try a few before you decide, he'd be good at knowing though." She held it out to Wilson. He smiled brightly.  
  
"Are you seriously going to let me watch this?" House asked her.  
  
"Yeah. It's not like you haven't seen other people do it." Leila said. House stifled a groan and stumbled back a bit until he was leaning against an equipment piece called 'the rack' he didn't think he could stand up fully and watch this or he might pass out. He had wanted to see her taken down a peg since the moment he met her. Cuddy knew this should have made her angry or jealous yet some how her brain was able to realize that if he was this worked up just getting to see Leila in that position he would probably go crazy when she did it. She really liked that idea, but first she did want to watch Leila so she could copy the behavior and make sure House got exactly what he wanted when she did submit. She was horny as hell though, she didn't care what the hell Leila said about just observing, they were going to be the next people to use this room.  
  
"You've been bad, haven't you?" Wilson said, grabbing her braid and pulling back on it, forcing her head to tilt up so she'd have to look at him.  
  
"Yes sir. I'm sorry." She breathed in a weak little voice. Cuddy found herself leaning against the rack as well, she was close to House now, trying to watch Leila and him at the same time, the instant shift they made was amazing, she hoped her and House could have the same instant chemistry.  
  
"Sorry for what?" He breathed, bringing her face closer to his.  
  
"Sorry for, being such a little cock tease in my tight dress." She whimpered. House was about to lose his mind, she was playing the role well, and Wilson, where the fuck did he learn to behave like that? Clearly Leila had taught him quite a few things in the past week. He always knew Wilson had it in him to be dominant, he had stood up for himself before. Leila had probably just taught him to tap into that side. It was intense.  
  
"Damn right. Now you know the punishment for cock teasing bitches like you right?" He demanded. She nodded her head lightly, but the grasp he had on her hair was tight, Cuddy could tell that. A little gasp escaped her, God did she ever want House to do that to her.  
  
"Yes sir." She breathed. He let go of her and she dutifully got on the spanking bench. Wilson came up behind her and slid her dress up. She wasn't wearing panties.  
  
"Oh God..." House breathed softly. Cuddy saw his hand hovering around his crotch he was clearly aroused and had no idea what was appropriate here, or he did, he just was worried about she would think about him. She thought it would be really hot for him to just start jerking off but she couldn't find the words to tell him that.  
  
"Count with each hit, if you screw up, I start over. You get ten this time Leila, next time it'll be twenty." He warned.  
  
"Yes sir, thank you sir." She breathed and he slapped her ass rather hard. A loud "pop" echoed the room. It caused Cuddy to jump a bit and then rub into House. He turned and looked at her for a moment and then back to Leila. Cuddy could see the wheels in his head turning, he wasn't just watching Wilson and Leila he was picturing Cuddy there in place of her, him in place of Wilson. She didn't know how she knew this, but his vision was far to focused to actually be watching them. Leila tallied off the first hit loudly, then the second, she kept thanking him for each hit.  
  
"I want that to be me, tonight." Cuddy just kind of said when they got to hit five. Though Wilson and Leila were in such a zone neither of them seemed to hear her. House swore he was going to pass out when she said that, he even saw dark spots flash before his eyes before his vision began to tunnel a bit and he snapped out of it.  
  
"We can...do that when they are done." He breathed. He pulled her into a hungry kiss, "You aren't scared?" He asked.  
  
"How can I be? I mean look at them they are in some sort of...lust filled zone. She trusts him, he trusts her, they are feeding off of each other's energy, it's way too hot." She confessed, she was too horny not to start confessing these things to him because she knew now, if she held back she'd never get them. Leila tallied off ten, and Cuddy turned her head to see what would happen next, as did House. Did the two even realize they were still there? Wilson pulled Leila up til she was on her knees and looking at him.  
  
"I'm sorry I had to do that, slut, but you need to learn to obey me." Wilson said in a stern voice, his arousal was obvious. This whole thing was driving Cuddy bonkers, she was now even finding herself sexually attracted to Leila which made absolutely no sense. She guessed it was the fact that there were three other people in the room just as aroused as her, three other people who she trusted and loved deeply in various ways.  
  
"Good girl, now, you are going to clean up for them so they can use this place and then come back to the room and suck my cock like a good little slut. I want you on your knees the moment you are in there." He smiled and kissed her deeply, "I'll be waiting, you have five minutes." he said and left. Leila ignored them completely and grabbed the disinfecting wipes. She started to clean the bench quickly but thoroughly.  
  
"We need a safe word." House said.  
  
"Why is she ignoring us?" Cuddy asked softly.  
  
"She's in sub space, you'll see what that's like in a moment. Just we need a safe word." He told her and then headed to the wall to grab a paddle to use on her, he wanted to use a lighter wood that would have less of an impact. The one that had been used on Leila had been too heavy to start on Cuddy even though Leila was now cleaning it so it could be used.  
  
"Safe word?" She asked slowly.  
  
"Yeah if things get too intense or painful you yell that out and it's like the magic word to make me stop. Okay? Also if you can take more you say the word "green" it means go. Yellow is for me to slow down, the safe word is complete halt of the activity." He told her. She nodded, not even sure how she was remembering this she was so aroused. He got the paddle just as Leila was heading out of the room like she didn't give two shits about them and he understood why. At least she trusted that he was a good Dom, and he actually was. They had discussed that alone far before bringing Cuddy into this.  
  
"I uh....how about cardiac?" She asked him.  
  
"Okay that works." he laughed a bit, "Cause yeah anyone yelling that is going to make me stop, as a doctor that brings up all sorts of bad ideas in my head, even just the word alone." He smiled at her and pulled her into a kiss. "Get on that bench like she was. I'll start slow, just give you a feel for it, I might throw in some dirty words when I think you won't turn around and slap me."  
  
"Oh trust me, I want it, just like Leila was getting." she said, she almost said 'just like Wilson was doing' but she knew he'd misconstrue that as her wanting Wilson which wasn't the case at all but he was House. She got on the spanking bench and leaned over it, thrusting her ass out a bit. House eased her dress up, it had a longer way to go than Leila's but when he saw the combination of her ass, the black lace thong, the garter belt, and the stockings he seriously almost came in his pants.  
  
"Fuck that's so hot." He breathed and started to rub the paddle over her exposed ass. He could actually see moisture around her pussy lips, indicating exactly how aroused she was. "You really want this? Don't you slut?" He asked, his voice wasn't as confident as he knew he could get it, but he had to test everything right now because he didn't know how she'd actually react. She said she wanted it but she wasn't sure.  
  
"Green." she said firmly. She wanted him to treat her like any other sub he'd ever used. She knew she could take it and this was what she wanted.  
  
"I called you a SLUT. You like that? Huh? Slutty Cuddy?" He spat at her. He quickly pulled into himself after that but because he was standing behind her she couldn't see the face he made which was akin to a wince. When she groaned and her hips kind of thrust towards the bench, as she tried to rub against it to stimulate herself, he knew he definitely hadn't cross the line. He grabbed her hips firmly and pulled them back. "You don't get to do that you little bitch. I control pleasure and pain now. Though it's very clear who the slut is. Trying to fuck the damn bench, you are a little whore." He said in a very dominating tone and gave her a good slap on the ass with the paddle with a loud SMACK. She cried out loudly, that hurt amazingly good.  
  
"Thank you sir!" She yelled, not even sure of where that came from, it wasn't even like she was copying Leila, she hadn't said that after she had gotten hit the first time. House groaned a bit, he pulled back and slapped her across the ass again.  
  
"This is what you want huh? You dirty little cunt. This is all you ever want. To be put...in place...by...MASTER...HOUSE!" He said the last phrase, pausing each time to slap her ass to punctuate the meaning. To kind of drill it into her brain so she couldn't forget it.  
  
"Yes...Oh God yes Master! Please fuck me! PLEASE!" She screamed, she didn't think she could take a moment longer and she didn't care how much he was degrading her or how badly she was degrading herself at that point all she wanted was his cock in her and she was going to do anything to get it, even if it meant begging like a horny little bimbo.  
  
Of course House didn't have to be told twice. He tossed the paddle aside and yanked her thong down, it practically stuck to her she was so wet with arousal. He unzipped his pants and got his cock out, there was no time to get them completely off but he didn't care. He actually loved the feeling of being mostly clothed while she was basically exposed to the world, she was far more exposed than him at that point and it just told his brain how much more dominant he was over the situation than her. He thrust into her from behind and started to pound rather violently. He slapped her ass with his hand roughly.  
  
"You like this? Huh? My little dean of medicine turned bondage slut in five seconds?" He asked and slapped her ass again. She cried out, she wouldn't be able to sit right for a few days and she knew it but she didn't fucking care, she just wanted more even though it went against her rational brain.  
  
"YES! All I am is a little slut, your little slut....show me how to please you!" She gasped. He reached forward and grabbed a handful of her hair. He pulled her head back. She cried out in pain and pleasure, her head twisted at an odd angle now, she almost couldn't breathe and the panic of that just caused her to thrust back at him more.  
  
"Tell me who owns you, bitch. SAY IT!" He yelled at her in a commanding tone she had never heard from him before.  
  
"GREG HOUSE!" She screamed, "MASTER GREG HOUSE!" This immediately sent them both over the edge. The orgasm at least ten times better than what they had on the couch the first time or the past week. It was like all those orgasms combined and then multiplied by two. Their cries echoed through the room as they spasmed against each other violently. He collapsed forward and laid on top of her a bit awkwardly. His thigh trembling with weakness from the kneeling position he was in, but he didn't fucking care. That had been the best moment of his life, the culmination of everything he had wanted from her since he started working at that damn hospital. He knew now, that this was the best thing that Leila could have ever suggested. He was in her debt.


	13. Chapter 13

Leila looked up when she heard a knock on her door. She had just finished up with a client and was touching up her make up. She had about thirty minutes before her next client would show up. It wasn't that she was so vain that her makeup needed to be perfect at all times, she was just really bored and that was the only thing she could think to do other than literally twiddling her thumbs for the next thirty minutes. Usually when she tried to do something like that, someone bothered her anyway, so she was happy to hear the knock.  
  
"Come in." She said happily. She still had traces of the bruise on her face, and it was her first day back at work, the monday after House and Cuddy's first visit to the club. She had never seen either of them so sated after they left the dungeon and she didn't ask what had happened but they were both very appreciative of what she had done. Well Cuddy was very vocal about her happiness, and House she some how knew he was though he downplayed it very much.  
  
"Leila?" She heard a male voice say, a very familiar one. No. Not him. She dropped her lipstick and immediately ducked under her desk. She only saw him out of the corner of her eye but she knew it was Mark. Fuck. He was supposed to be dead right? She tried to pull herself up under the desk more so he couldn't see her. It was more that she didn't want to see him and lose her mind, he could see her all he wanted, but if there was a two way mirror or something. She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. Not now, why the fuck was he here now? "I'm not a zombie, I never died, you don't need to hide from me." He chuckled nervously. The noise melted and broke her heart at the same time. She was in love with James Wilson and she didn't want to have to tell him that.  
  
"Mark, I'm not ready for this okay? Plus I was just in a....I got hit by a...my face has a bruise on it. I can't completely cover it with make up and I don't want you to see it." She tried to explain softly. It was so stupid that she couldn't find it in her to lie to him about what happened. That would be another issue because if he found out a man had hit her and who it had been that would not be good for anyone.  
  
"You know I don't care about that. Please let me see you." He said and she heard him approach the desk. Under the small crack she saw his feet. She started to sob softly for a moment, but that hurt her face too much and she made herself stop.  
  
"Okay but, it looks way worse than it feels okay? It's almost healed that's why it's so dark." She said softly and blotted at her eyes with her sleeve. "You need to know I...there is another man in my life now and you aren't coming back here to sweep me off my feet." The reason she said that while she was under the desk was so she wouldn't have to look him in the eye as she did.  
  
"I'm not here to do that, I found someone else too. God that sounds so shitty of me to say." He breathed and she watched as his feet shifted and she felt the desk move a bit as he leaned against it. She wanted to start crying again, he found someone else? How soon after his supposed "death" had that happened? Did he even love her? Was she just a game before he "died"? After taking a deep breath she crawled out from under the desk and stood to face him.  
  
"Hi." She said softly, looking at him for only a small second before looking away. God he was still as gorgeous as she remembered, even better now because his looks had matured and he'd gotten a bit more muscular.  
  
"Your hair its...down...and...shorter..." He said. Why was that the first thing he noticed? He moved in to touch it but she put her hand up gently and stopped him.  
  
"Mark please. I thought you were dead. What the fuck happened? Why did you come back? Who even told you where I was?" She asked him, "Not that I was hiding from you but when   
you died I went back to Japan for a long time before I came back and got the job here, then my parents died and it was a huge mess..." She started to ramble.  
  
"Leila, I got an email from some guy here and he said you mentioned me." He explained, "It took me so long to contact you cause I didn't know if I could tell you I have a wife now."   
That did get her to look at him.  
  
"Who sent you the email? How long ago?" She nearly demanded.  
  
"Why does that--"  
  
"Tell me Mark." She felt her blood start to boil. She knew the answer was going to be House. That stupid bastard, why did he have to do this to her? What could have possibly been going through his head when he sent that email? That dick. She was going to murder him.  
  
"About three days ago. Uh, maybe two, I think Saturday morning was when I got it, might have been sent the night before. He gave me your address but I felt more confident coming here and less creepy. The e-mail was sent from this hospital does a Doctor McCane work here?" He asked.  
  
"Excuse me I have to go castrate a man." Leila said. She didn't answer anything else before she started to hurry out of the door. Mark looked baffled for a moment and the hurried after her.  
  
"Why are you pissed off? We haven't seen each other in almost ten years, he did something great for you." Mark said as he followed. This was drawing attention from people. God did she ever not want to have to explain any of this to Wilson but Mark was the kind of guy who wasn't going to leave until he knew she was okay and they had gotten caught up. Wilson was going to get insecure, House was going to gloat, everything was ruined.  
  
"No he did this to break me up with James." Leila said, "First it was the email then it was the punch to the face and the drug addiction and then he plays nice cause he tried to kill himself, he made everyone think he wasn't a fucking child any more and--"  
  
"He did that to your face?" Mark asked. She had been rambling out her rage and missed that she had said that part of it. She stopped talking and froze. The cop in him wasn't about to let that go.  
  
"Mark, listen to me. It's...I was overreacting okay? It's fine." She took in a deep breath, "This is more about me not being ready for this than anything he did." She said. Now she knew she had to go back to her office because she wasn't about to lead Mark right to House, luckily he didn't know the guy's name and as far as she knew there was no Dr. McCane there that Mark could confuse him with. It wasn't a lie though, she was just more mad at the situation than she was at House but she had to blame someone at that point because it gave her something to focus on other than her own problems. Of course, the worst thing happened next.  
  
"Yo Dawson you--" It was House and he was fast approaching from around the corner. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and she grabbed Mark's arm.  
  
"Come on, he's really cranky this early in the morning." She said trying to pull Mark with her.  
  
"It's almost lunch."  
  
"Yeah well...for him it's early." She said but Mark, who was 200 pounds of muscle and 5 inches taller than her easily stood his ground. He had obviously picked up on the fact that this was the Doctor McCane who had sent him the email. She cursed the fact that even though it had been so long she couldn't hide shit from him.  
  
"Wow, he's bigger in person." House said as he stopped right by them. Leila glared at him, stupid bastard had to open his mouth and give away who he was. "How did you have sex with him? His dick would split you in half." Leila put her hand over her face. This was just getting worse and worse.  
Mark let out a laugh, Leila knew it as his 'I'm pissed off and about to crush you' cop laugh. She saw his hand dart out and she screamed but all he did was grab House's cane and break it over his strong thigh.  
  
"Don't ever touch her again." He said and threw the useless walking aid down on the ground. House stood there absolutely dumbstruck, as did Leila. She had to breathe a sigh of relief though, she honestly thought he was about to get punched in the face himself.  
  
"Well that was kind of a dick move." House said after a moment of silence.  
  
"YOU WANNA SEE A DICK MOVE?!" Mark roared and pulled his arm back.  
  
"What's going on here?" Wilson asked, he had heard the sound of the wooden cane snapping, it was almost as loud as a gun shot so he had come out of his office and down the hall to see what was going on. Other people were gathering now too. "Leila? Is that..." Wilson looked at Mark. How was he ever going to measure up to that guy? He was almost perfect, tall, dark, handsome, mysterious, muscular. He suddenly felt three inches tall. Leila felt tears stinging her eyes.  
  
"Who's that?" Mark asked.  
  
"Leila's boyfriend. Feel good about yourself now?" House asked and gingerly got down to pick up what remained of his cane. He wasn't even supposed to be there that day, so neither Wilson nor Leila actually knew what the fuck he wanted. Leila was on the verge of tears.  
  
"You feel good that you punched a woman in the face you little cripple?" Mark spat back at him.  
  
"Fuck you, pig." House taunted. Leila saw Mark's arm start to swing back and in a bold move she jumped on it and clutched it tightly, her momentum almost knocked him down with his own energy and he was forced to side step.  
  
"LEAVE!" She screamed at him.  
  
"HOW!?" House screamed back. He had a point. Wilson came more over to them. He wasn't even close to the height or size of this guy, he wasn't exactly sure how he was going to help, nor did he know if he wanted to. He would snap Leila back in an instant and he'd be back to where he started, friends with a man child and his girlfriend.  
  
"No. I'll be the bigger man here and WALK away. We'll be in touch." He told Leila and then glared at House. He started to storm off and right before he was out of all of their sight, he launched his fist at the wall and punched right through the paneling. As if it didn't even phase him, he walked off, and Leila was pretty sure it didn't phase him. He knew tons of martial arts it was the reason she knew what she did, he could break boards with his hand, that had been nothing.  
  
"Holy Jesus." House breathed, thinking that could have easily been his face, or his nuts.  
  
"Okay someone want to explain what the FUCK that was about?" Wilson asked, sounding incredibly upset, which just caused tears to fall from Leila's eyes without her meaning them to.  
  
"House sent him an email telling him to come see me. James...I..." She went to him and then House kind of cried out as he started to lose the strength in his injured leg and fall. Leila was right there to catch him though, how ironic. She helped him get stable so he was leaning against her.  
  
"House...WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?" Wilson started off calm but it was short lived.  
  
"I WAS TRYING TO SHOW HER MY APPRECIATION FOR WHAT SHE DID FOR ME AND CUDDY!" House yelled, "I was coming to tell her that he might show up today! This wasn't supposed to be some covert act to mess with you two!" He yelled back.  
  
"Really?" Leila asked, "Really? Because it doesn't appear that way."  
  
"Look Leila, I didn't know how else to thank you but let you know he was alive." House said, "I didn't want you to get back with him or whatever I wanted you to know he was okay. I didn't even use my right Email I have no idea how he figured out you were here. I just said you thought he was dead and would want to see him again. That it was kind of shitty that he just never contacted you again." Leila was speechless. Though she didn't think he was lying, she was still incredibly hurt by this.  
  
"First of all, he's a cop and he's smart, secondly the name you did use said at PPTH after it. Problem solved." She said, "James could you get him a cane from the supply closet please? I want him away from me and you and I need to talk." She said as calmly as she could, though tears were falling.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be right back." Wilson said in a rather shaky and uncertain tone. She didn't like that voice, not at all, because now she was unsure of if he was coming back. She wiped her face gently. He hadn't even offered to let himself support House while she maybe went to get a cane, he was very obviously pissed off at this situation. She watched him go, resolving herself to the fact that this would be the last time she'd see him for awhile because he'd start to avoid her and looked up at House.  
  
"You're an asshole, why didn't you just tell me he was alive?" She breathed. The other people started to dissipate once they surmised that the "show" was over.  
  
"I...I was sure you'd think I was joking or trying to ruin something. I didn't think he would show up. His email back only said 'thank you' that's it. So I came here, when I didn't even have to, in order to warn you. I'm not even supposed to be here and Cuddy--"  
  
"CUDDY WHAT!?" Came her voice from behind them.  
  
"Shit..." House breathed. Leila watched as Cuddy went to the hole that had been punched in the wall. She was pretty sure if it was physically possible to shoot fire from human eyes, Cuddy would have been doing it at that point.  
  
"WHAT DID YOU DO?" She asked, storming up to him.  
  
"What did I--"  
  
"It was my fault, Lisa. I'll pay for the repairs okay?" Leila asked, just wanting to diffuse the situation and for everything to end. She wanted to go back to her office, cry for the ten minutes she had now before her next client and go on with the day as if her life hadn't been utterly ruined by this shit. "House can you walk enough by leaning on me to get to a bench or something?"  
  
"I can try but my leg's pretty fucked up right now." House told her.  
  
"Why can't he..." Cuddy looked down and saw the ruined cane House was holding in his hands. "What happened? Oh God, was the hit that ruined that wall meant for him?" She gasped, suddenly frightened and yet it was a scary prospect. She knew House pissed people off but to that extreme? Who had done this? She kind of felt sick at the idea that some guy had gotten this angry over something House had done. Not to mention the fact that the cane looked like it had been snapped as simply as a child would snap a twig.  
  
"I don't think it was actually meant for him, just that Mark was angry." Leila said.  
  
"Mark who?" Cuddy asked.  
  
"Her Ex-Boyfriend." Wilson said from behind Leila. She jumped a bit, she was pretty sure he was just going to leave her there to literally carry the burden of House on her shoulders until Cuddy got a cane but he was back, with help. He handed the cane to House, who immediately leaned on it for support as Leila stepped back. "So you said we need to talk?" Leila nodded stupidly.  
  
"We need to talk as well, House. Leila don't worry about paying for that damage until I figure out what actually went on here." Cuddy told her, "My office, now." she said to him. He sighed and started to follow after her as she walked away.  
  
"Nice going, running to Dr. Ice Queen." He shot back over his shoulder.  
  
"I didn't tell her. That guy stalks around her like a giant, I'm sure someone told her far before I could." Wilson snapped at him and then looked at Leila, "Are you okay?" She shook her head slightly and motioned in the direction of her office.  
  
"Come on, it's closer and I need to postpone my next client anyway." She said softly. Wilson nodded. Leila had no idea what was in store for her once they got in there but she wasn't looking forward to it.

* * *

"So you sent an E-mail to her ex to thank her for taking us to that club?" Cuddy asked him once they were in the office. He had been trying to explain his position in the matter all the way there and she had been only half listening because of the fact that she was pissed off and if she stopped to actually listen she would end up making a scene. The last thing she needed was for the hospital to not only know she was fucking him, but that she was also into a BDSM relationship with him.  
  
"Yeah. Why am I suddenly a pariah here? I was being nice." He said and then sat down on the couch. He was glad that he was finally able to sit because holy fuck was his leg not cooperating with him. He was surprised over the past week or so how little he thought about vicodin with how much he'd been fucking Cuddy and how happy he was, but now was one of those times where he desperately wanted some narcotics.  
  
"I don't care what you were doing. That was a horrible move House! I mean...why would she even want to see him again? He's an EX for a reason. He's probably abusive with how he broke your cane and--"  
  
"She thought he was dead." House interrupted her. He had seen Mark, looked him in the eye, there was no way that man was abusive to her. Abusive to other people because of her, maybe, but that man would have never hurt a single damn skin cell on Leila Dawson's body.  
  
"What?" Cuddy asked, turning to look at him.  
  
"Yeah. About 9 years ago there was this huge drug cartel thing and he was a target. They kind of faked his death and put him in witness protection because he knew things. He brought down the king pin and they were out for his blood. All very TV drama if you ask me. Anyway I don't know anything about Witness Protection but obviously he's allowed to reveal himself now, cause he came back. What exactly do you want from me here?" House demanded and started to try to massage the tension in his leg. He had to do something because he had already taken far too much ibuprofen that day it wouldn't be smart to take more.  
  
"Why didn't you just tell her that he was alive and give her his information? Why didn't you just let her handle this herself?" Cuddy asked him. She watched his hands try to massage his thigh and came over. She got on her knees by the couch and replaced his hands with hers. They were much smaller and the fingers could work the muscles far better than his larger ones.  
  
"You think she would have believed me? Or she wouldn't have reported me to you on the grounds of some prank or I had gone nuts or I was trying to meddle with her and Wilson?" He asked, "Besides the guy made no indication he was going to show up here, the only words in the email he sent back was 'thank you'. I freaked out, I came here today to confess to her what I did not gloat about it." He said seriously. It was beginning to irk him that no one believed him on this, or so he thought. Cuddy could hear in his voice he wasn't lying, that this had kind of blown up in his face and he felt bad, well as much as his voice could betray him feeling bad.  
  
"Okay look, I believe this was done with good intentions, but she's incredibly hurt by it, House. You need to find some way to fix it. Also, I don't want that man back in here if he's going to karate punch walls into oblivion because you are a jack ass. Did you not take a moment to maybe estimate how big he was compared to you and the damage he could do? Obviously after he broke your cane one would think you would have shut up." She said and then noticed movement in his pants as he started to sink more and more down into the couch. He always got aroused when she did this and she still had no fucking idea how or why. It probably did feel good though, and helped him relieve a lot of tension.  
  
"I have this problem where I don't know what's good for me most of the time. I think we all know that at this point." He told her. It was a joke but there was more truth behind it than anything, she realized he was trying to get her to laugh a bit. She sighed and shook her head as she let out a small laugh. Had they not been brought together recently, she might have been seriously fucking pissed but she knew that he was just being himself and trying to show gratitude with his actions.  
  
"I think she just might need to calm down. Stay away from her until she approaches you, and go home." She said and looked up at him, her hands still working expertly. He had basically been living at her place at that point so she knew he knew what she meant by that. He groaned a bit, his eyes were only half open, he was getting a lot of pleasure from her massage.  
  
"You want me to walk out of this office with a raging boner? You think that will go unnoticed?" He asked her, his words were soft and almost slurring, just denoting how damn relaxed he was by her actions. He had a point, if he left looking this aroused it may reflect badly on her.  
  
"Well I...then just lay on the couch until it goes away. I have work." She said, but she didn't stop massaging him, and her gaze shifted to his crotch. Maybe it was because he had mentioned her being on her knees for him, calling him Master, that she was getting so aroused and actually entertaining the thought of blowing him in her office right then and there.  
  
"Work is important, but you don't seem convinced of that." He said, his eyes opening more. She had yet to blow him like that, completely on her knees and completely submissive. They had fucked at the club on Saturday and then again on Sunday night but she was still a bit reluctant to give in to that request. However right now her brain completely wanted to, and her overwhelming feeling of lust was practically demanding that she do it. "If you want the hard on to stop you have to not touch me, you know that right?" He asked.  
  
"Or maybe...touching you is exactly what I need to do." She breathed and her hands moved from his thigh to the zipper of his jeans. He stared at her with eyes as wide as dinner plates.  
  
"Uh Cuddy...."  
  
"Master is hard, and as his sub, I should take care of that right?" She asked him. He let out a loud groan but jammed his hand in his mouth to make sure it stayed muffled. Someone could walk in here at any moment. What the fuck was she thinking? This was not a good idea, and he had no idea why he was thinking it was not a good idea because it was damn hot. However, the last thing he needed was for her to get fired.  
  
"Well, as his sub, she should also know what's safe and sane and the door is..."  
  
"I'll go lock it, sir." She told him, his pants were now unzipped but he wasn't exposed. She got up and then stuck her head out of the door, he heard her say something to her assistant about not letting anyone in because she was in a meeting. She then shut the door and locked it. After closing the wooden blinds far more than they were before she came back to him and fell to her knees.  
  
"Have you lost your damn mind? Should I be looking for a pod with the real Lisa Cuddy?" He asked her, he was beginning to realize why she had agreed to this now, because it would be the fastest damn orgasm he ever had. There was risk but very little of it and he was sure some part of her was getting off on that fact as well. It was unsafe in a way that it was also rather safe. Besides no one suspected him and her were together, he had been eavesdropping on people as he headed in. It would have been the buzz of the hospital had anyone known. Also she had been mad at him upon entering in there, people would just assume he was getting a lecture. It was kind of perfect timing.  
  
"Are you really turning down a blow job in my office?" She asked him.  
  
"No, just making sure you want to do this." He said seriously. She laughed a bit and got his dick out of his pants. She ran her small, soft hand over it teasingly.  
  
"I want to do anything that will please you, Sir." She said and took the tip of him in her mouth. God the look in her eyes was so fucking sexy. He really didn't care what had come over her, but the change was for the better. She had been an expert at this since they had started fucking over a week ago. He knew he was in for an awesome experience. She started to bob her head up and down gently. It always took her a bit of working up to deep throat him. He was a large man, not surprising because of his height and size. It would have been odd had he not been large. He wasn't circus freak big, a bit above average, but she loved it. The pain and pleasure it caused when he was actually fucking her was immeasurable.  
  
"Oh God Lisa...." he breathed, he put his hand in her hair at the back of her head and started to clench it into his fist. She was working quicker now, whatever part of his shaft that wasn't in her mouth was being worked at by her hand. He knew he had to stay quiet but she was making that almost impossible. So he did the only thing he really could do and started to talk. It was a normal, speaking voice, but had he tried to hold back, he would have just been loudly moaning, "You are such a fucking slut...look at you....bet you never thought you'd be doing this to me of all people, in your office. You little cocksucking whore. That's right...fucking take it all. Take it all for your Mast--" he didn't finish her came hard. It was the combination of what she was doing with her mouth and the realization of where they were and what was going on. She swallowed down every last drop and then gave the tip of his cock a little lick before tucking him back in his pants and standing up on shaky legs. He looked up at her, surprised, relieved, and completely in love.  
  
"Good?" She breathed and then coughed a bit, one did not deep throat a man that size and not have a sore and irritated throat afterwards.  
  
"Marry me." He said softly. She laughed a bit, sure that he was just messing around and then leaned down and kissed him softly.  
  
"Alright House, it wasn't that good." She said and then pulled back to go over to her desk, "You can stay here and recover or--" He grabbed her wrist as she was turning away from him. Upon turning back he actually got down on one knee.  
  
"Marry me." he repeated. Her jaw dropped, why was he saying this? Because she was good at giving head? Because she had turned into Super Slut in her office for him? She didn't know if this was about sex or about love at that point.  
  
"This isn't funny, House. I am not accepting a marriage proposal right after I gave you some awesome head that you've probably been dreaming about for years. So can you just...take a deep breath and realize what you are saying here?" She asked him. Her heart was pounding in her chest. His tone of voice, the look in his eyes, there was every indication this wasn't a joke yet she wouldn't let herself believe he was saying any of this for the correct reasons. He looked at her for another moment and stood up, he let go of her wrist and pulled her into a soft kiss.  
  
"You're right. It's not funny. I need to do it right if I'm going to do it." He grabbed his cane and started to head out of there.  
  
"House--"  
  
"I'll see you tonight okay? Dinner. Don't have one of those stupid vegan protein bars before you get home. I'll take you to that stupid Wildflower restaurant you like." He said and then he was gone. She just stared at the door to her office stupidly. Was he really serious about this? Did he realize what he was doing? Could she even accept at this point? He had just detoxed from drugs and was going through some weird shit with the new relationship and the Dom/sub aspect of it all. She was going to have to talk to Leila, if the woman even wanted to discuss House at that point. She went and sat down at her desk. She knew that there would not be one bit of work done the rest of the day.


	14. Chapter 14

"James, you don't need to feel threatened by him, you never needed to feel threatened by him. I love you. I love you very, very much." Leila said and brought her hand up to touch his cheek. He let her for a moment and then turned his head away, not being able to take it. Her lower lip trembled, "Please, I don't want him, I want you. I want you more than anything. I--"  
  
"Did you see him? That guy is well I'm not...Leila he's a hunk." Wilson told her, he wanted to say he wasn't gay but decided against it because it sounded like he thought being gay was bad if he were to use that tone of voice and that's not what he thought at all.  
  
"So? He's also got an anger management problem and don't tell me he doesn't. You saw how he reacted. Ultimately he's not a good choice for me. Maybe ten years ago when I was a lot younger and far more stupid he was, I used to think his violent outbursts to protect me were hot. Now I just think they are annoying." She said truthfully, "He's like that ALL the time. I can't even imagine how his wife puts up with him. Yes, he's married. I have no intention of being with him, and I had no intention even before I found out he has someone. I could find him and you could ask him what the first thing I said to him was. I told him I love you."  
  
"Why though? Compared to him I'm..."  
  
"You're perfect compared to him." She said softly, "You are just perfect. I had deep seeded issues when it comes to him, yes, because I thought he was dead and I never got closure. However closure doesn't mean fucking him." She tried to look into his eyes, if he'd just meet her gaze she was sure he'd understand but he was refusing to look at her.  
  
"In that picture, that House mass emailed, you looked so happy." He said and went and sat on her couch.  
  
"Yeah well I bet ten years ago when you were on wife twenty you looked happy in pictures with her too." She told him, "It was a picture, a moment in time, one that isn't relevant any longer."  
  
"I never had that many wives."  
  
"It was a joke." She sighed, this was getting tiring. He needed to start believing her she had no way of proving this to him. It was a feeling he either had or he didn't have and it hurt her to think that something as making him snatch back all his feelings for her. "I'm not one of your ex wives, James. I am not going to make demands of you or tell you how to behave, what to wear, any of that shit. What I can tell you is, I let you cut my hair so I could move on and feel more connected to you. Mark never got to do that. So if that doesn't say something to you then you can just leave I guess." She went to her desk and sat down slowly. She didn't want to tell him to 'just leave' but she figured badgering him more about this wasn't going to help her. He wasn't a man that liked to be badgered.  
  
"Why me though?" He asked softly. She looked up, was the problem less that it was Mark who had come back and more that he just honestly didn't believe that she was in love with him? "Look at you, look at me, what do I have to offer you?"  
  
"This isn't just about Mark is it?" She asked and got up again. She walked over to him and sat down on the couch next to him. "You just really don't believe you can be loved."  
  
"I...well look at my track record. No, I don't believe that." He said softly. She felt bad for him, when he spoke of ex wives he never sounded this upset. Then again they hadn't known each other that long. It was weird to be declaring love so quickly, and she was well aware of that fact, but the trauma that House had put them all through had forced a bond far sooner than had they developed something over a matter of months. Besides, she was all about following her heart.  
  
"I hope that you understand that I haven't felt in love or told anyone I was in love with them since Mark, and if that's the case, then I don't love him, I actually love you. You see the club that I kind of own, where I hang out, you know that I like sex. I've had partners, more than enough. I haven't actually loved any of them. Trusted, bonded, cared for, yes. Been in a romantic kind of love like I am with you? No. You need to stop being insecure about this. I will prove to you in any way that you want that I love you. This isn't something I'm wavering back and fourth on, this is something I 100% know. If it wasn't the case, the moment that dick started to meddle with us I would have high tailed it out of here." She said and started to run her hands through his kind of shaggy hair. She had asked him to grow it out a bit more because she liked something to grab during sex and he happily obliged.  
  
"Look at you though." He said, "And then look at me. You are some exotic, perfect, buddhist ninja from--"  
  
"First of all, I am buddhist now I went to Catholic school for 12 years, yes even in Japan. It was only when I came back here that I decided I hated it and found buddhism. If anything, why don't you look at how taboo it is for a Jew to be with a naughty catholic girl." She said and pushed him back on the couch, straddling him. He looked up at her.  
  
"Really? Catholic?" He breathed.  
  
"Oh? Did I hit a fantasy for you?" She smiled at him.  
  
"You could have anyone though. Mark would probably leave his wife for you. I don't deserve you at all." He breathed, his hips thrusting up against hers a bit.  
  
"I don't deserve someone like you. Loyal, smart, caring, tender, fun, funny, handsome. You are House's best friend til the death and I think it might come to that one day. You are exactly what I am looking for. I don't deserve you. You don't even know half of my past yet. Trust me, outer appearances can be incredibly deceiving. Now are we going to fuck in my office or continue this pity party?" She breathed.  
  
"Oh God, really? Here?" He breathed.  
  
"You bet your tight little ass." She said and pulled him into a hungry kiss. She was a bit nervous doing this, as she was absolutely sure that there would be doubt in his kiss. However there was no hesitation or concern, he kissed her back immediately and not just because he was aroused. She could feel the passion in that kiss, so much so, that tears started to burn her eyes. Maybe he was finally getting the message that she wasn't playing games with his heart.

* * *

It was near the end of the day, Leila was happy again, and Mark hadn't come back. Cuddy hadn't said anything about her having to pay for the wall in the hallway, things were going rather good. Fucking Wilson had also been amazing, she didn't think the man had ever been more passionate with her. That's when her phone rang and things started to change. For the better.  
  
"Leila Dawson." She said, as she grabbed the office phone it was kind of a knee jerk reaction to answer that way. Had it been her cell she would have answered differently.  
  
"It's House. Look, I need a favor." He said.  
  
"Oh...you need a favor, huh?" She asked him. Who the hell was he to think he could actually call in favors. Though once she heard what he was going to ask she would get off her ass and move on it.  
  
"Well it's more for Cuddy. See there's this ring that I always had my eye on but I can't afford it and she--"  
  
"Are you going to propose to her?" Leila asked, her voice rising in the middle of the question and then getting softer as she realized how loud she was being.  
  
"Tell the whole damn hospital why don't you. Anyway, you are worth like fifty billion dollars and this ring it's like a drop in the bucket for--"  
  
"Where are you?" She asked him.  
  
"This private custom jewelry place in Patterson." He told her. Patterson? That was kind of far for him to travel, and also a rather dinky town in New Jersey. Why did he go all the way there? "I know what you are thinking but I know a guy. Anyway can you just--"  
  
"Tell me where you are I'll meet you there." She said and started to stand up so she could grab her coat.  
  
"I just need your credit card number and for you to tell my friend it's fine."  
  
"Yeah not going to happen til I see you and this amazing ring." She told him. He hesitated for a moment before giving her the address. Maybe he really was serious about this. It was odd, though, she couldn't chalk this up to him being on drugs or some desperate sort of life change that he thought would fix him. He sounded more genuine than he ever had, well for him.  
  
"Are you coming now? Don't tell Cuddy." He said.  
  
"Do you think I'm stupid?" She asked him.  
  
"Well--"  
  
"Don't answer that. I'll see you soon." She said and hung up the phone. She was going to have to talk to him before allowing this, well maybe not that she could stop it but she could warn Cuddy or she could talk him out of it if she was sure this was something he thought would be a quick fix instead of a life time commitment.

* * *

It seemed to take way too long to get there. One of those days where no one on the road could drive right except her. She pulled up to a rather dinky looking pawn shop in downtown Patterson and was hesitant to get out of her car. She was sure she'd come back to just find the rims and the steering wheel left. Then House came out of the shop she had parked in front of. She looked around and got out of the car before locking it. Luckily the windows were tinted so no one would look in there and see the stereo or the GPS system. She took her brief case though and her purse, she wasn't going to take chances.  
  
"House this is a pawn shop." She said, motioning to the sign that clearly said "Jim Bob's Pawn and Tackle".  
  
"Yeah I know but I'm not buying anything in their stock. It's a guy, like I said, a friend of mine. He has access to more exotic stuff in the back room." House said and motioned for her to follow him. She looked around and did. How did House know about this guy's 'back room' because the only thing she was thinking that could possibly be in there was drugs and a lot of 'off the truck' stuff that was completely illegal.  
  
The shop was cramped, the display cases over stuffed and so large they made the place seem even smaller. House continued into the back room. "Hey J.B, she's here, she'll pay." House said as he shoved a curtain back to reveal a back room. There was a man in there smoking a corn cob pipe. He could not look more like a hick in a pair of overalls without a shirt. He was even missing some teeth, the pipe was wedged between them to hold it in place.  
  
"It fur her?" He asked.  
  
"No, I told you this is my friend." House said and rolled his eyes, "He drinks a lot of moonshine."  
  
"I didn't say I'd buy it yet, I need to talk to you first. Why are you doing this? Why the sudden change of heart. You are House you know, guy who wants to fuck every chick he can before he dies." Leila said, "You aren't even close to achieving that, and you never will cause I'm not going to fuck you." She said. This caused the guy House called J.B to start to laugh.  
  
"She's a tomcat." He said.  
  
"Yeah I told you. Look, Leila, I've never been more sure of something in my life. I love her more than anything, I know this. She...she's Cuddy though. I kind of have to make some huge, grand gesture to show her that I'm serious. I don't have the money to do that, you do. Please trust me. I have never wanted to marry anyone in the world ever. Not even fantasized about it, I have a fucking ring picked out for her. Have for some time. Ask him." House said, motioning to the hick looking guy.  
  
"Yeah, comes in once a month to put a payment on it. Don't know why though, he always tells me he hasn't asked yet." J.B shrugged a bit. "Sounds serious now, kind of unlike one bitch to stand in the way of another gettin hitched. Yous jealous or somethin?" Leila glared at the guy.  
  
"How long have you been making payments?" She asked him, "How much is this thing? Why is it so expensive?"  
  
"It was an artifact, that was put up for private auction in Israel quite a few years ago. The owner died and it was willed to his niece, she pawned it here for crack money. He may look kind of dimwitted but he knows his precious stones and jewelry. The ass got it for 500 dollars when it's worth close to a million. He cut me a deal at half a mil. I'm not even close to being half way there with the payments. It's for her though." He insisted.  
  
"Not dimwitted. Just don't gots all the fancy first aid training yous got." J.B said. He struck up a match and lit up his pipe to take a few puffs from it.  
  
"I want to see it first, and how do I know you didn't acquire it illegally?" She asked, "Cause if you did I could be in for some legal trouble if they come looking for it."  
  
"I'll show you the ownership papers, that girl was a fuckin loser. She wanted her crack. I'm kind of a humanitarian when you think about it." J.B said. Leila glared at him. "Fine, I'll get it, if you have the money to pay, I have to go into the safe."  
  
"I have the money to pay, YES, but there is nothing promised until I see it." She said. He rolled his eyes and got up before leaving through the back door. "House I...I do believe you but I'm not doing anything illegal for you to make everything perfect." She told him. She reached up to her neck and started to play with her necklace nervously. House looked at her like she was stupid.  
  
"He's on the up and up I swear." House told her. Before she could answer, J.B was back and he was holding a box with an official seal on it. On top of the box was a manila envelope, probably with the ownership papers. He set the envelope on the table and then held the box out to her. She opened it. Holy shit, this was the Rose of Egypt. She looked at him. It was a ruby that had naturally formed to look very much like a rose. It was ostentatious she couldn't even see Cuddy wearing this. It wasn't comically huge, but it was big and the handiwork on it was expertly done. She was looking at a piece of history right here.  
  
"House...this is..."  
  
"I know what it is. Please Leila." He asked her, "I'll...I'll really REALLY owe you one." He said putting his hand over hers. She looked at him. She set the box down on the table and leaned over to get the manila envelope to see the papers. That's when J.B noticed her necklace.  
  
"Are you one of them Dawsons?" He asked her slowly.  
  
"Yeah....why?" She asked, looking up as she got the papers out of the envelope to look at.  
  
"Yous rich." He said. She didn't like his tone of voice now, it was making her nervous.  
  
"What's your point?" House snapped, "Just sell her the ring, she'll pay. Are the papers authentic?" House asked her. Her hands started to shake and she looked them over. She wanted to get out of there and fast so she didn't look closely but there was an official seal on there and a signature. She shifted her purse to get out her wallet.  
  
"Do you take credit cards?" She asked him.  
  
"Yeah. Need your ID though." J.B said. She didn't want to hand over both, but she also didn't want to spend five more seconds in that store. She got her wallet out along with her platinum card and ID. She threw it on the table.  
  
"Can we just hurry this up?" She asked him, trying not to sound as nervous as she was. Even House was getting kind of jumpy, she could feel his anxiety. She looked at him, as if to tell him that she hoped he didn't just screw her on this.  
  
"Gotta run the card. It'll take a minute, the machine is old. Back in a jiff." He said and took her card and the ID.  
  
"House I don't like it here, we need to leave." She said, the look in that man's eyes was down right criminal at that point. If his brain was fucked up because of the moonshine he was going to be more of a wild card than House could have ever been. She could tell he was looking at her and seeing dollar signs.  
  
"It'll be okay. He's never fucked with me before. Just, deep breath, sign the receipt when he comes back and we'll leave." House said softly. Leila jammed the papers back into the envelope and then grabbed the box and shut it. She shoved it into House's hands.  
  
"He never fucked with YOU before. I'm an unknown factor. Go wait by the front door." She told insisted.  
  
"And leave you here with him? Not going to happen." He said. When did he suddenly get so protective of her? Didn't he punch her in the face less than two weeks ago? God she just wanted this to be over. J.B came back. He was holding a pen and a receipt. He set them both down on the table along with her credit card and ID, which she immediately snatched back. She looked down and grabbed the pen. Then she saw how much he had charged her card with.  
  
"I agreed to half a million, not five." She said when she saw the receipt he wanted her to sign. He calmly reached into his overalls and produced a gun, putting it to her head with all the calmness of a great predator.  
  
"There were a change in market price. Demand suddenly sky rocketed." He said softly. She let out a low whimper. The last time she had seen a gun it belonged to Mark and one had never been put to her head.  
  
"J.B, lets think rationally here. This is robbery." House said slowly.  
  
"At last check the Dawsons were worth 2.5 billion. This is nothing to her." J.B said, "It's everything to me and yes it's worth risking getting caught. I gots something you two want, she's got the means. I don't think there will be any denial here. Be a shame if someone had to shoot her in her pretty face and do terrible things to that awfully nice body of hers." Leila felt nauseous. She scribbled her name over the signature line and shoved it in his direction quickly.  
  
"There...there...take the money. It's money just money, not worth my life or his okay?" She said, "Just put the gun down please." She begged him. He looked at the receipt and lowered the gun, sliding it back into his overalls.  
  
"Pleasure doing business with you. Don't think I needa tell you to give me a good, long head start before you call the cops, right?" He said menacingly.  
  
"I'm not going to call them at all. Take the fucking money...really." She said, "We are going to leave now." She started to back up slowly. God she wished the man she was with could run because she was about to and yet she was still scared out of her mind if she did something might happen to him. This man was a loose canon.  
  
"Happy trails." J.B said and then he was out of there faster than they could vanish.  
  
"Leila..." House breathed.  
  
"Don't, just fucking don't." She whispered and then hurried out of there. Ironically she had been so damn afraid of her car being broken into she hadn't thought the seedy bastard House was trying to do business with would be the one to worry about. She got to her car and got inside. She started it up and started to put it into gear when there was a knocked on her window. She rolled it down, "No, House don't, take the fucking ring, give it to Lisa and leave me the fuck out of this." She said and then sped off.  
  
House watched her car make record time down the street, even running the red light at the end of it. He stood there with the ring feeling positively terrible about what had happened, but he knew his best bet was to make it to his car before J.B came out and decided to mug him for it. Luckily he did make it there safely, and was able to peel out just as quickly as Leila had. However now he was very freaked out about what she was going to tell Cuddy or Wilson about what had happened in there. He was so incredibly screwed.


	15. Chapter 15

A week passed, Leila said nothing to him about the ring. In fact everything went on as completely normal. She had gifted Cuddy with a membership card to the club and her and House had been returning there on nights when they both could afford to. House knew enough about the lifestyle himself that Leila wasn't needed to be there to teach them. On the monday that marked the week after the event, was when Leila approached him alone. Before that point she had been interacting with him and Cuddy as she normally would as if nothing had even happened. House had returned to his job at the hospital, well kind of. The person that Cuddy had in mind to take over his spot in the diagnostics department had been Chase.  
  
Though he had said he was done with the place, he had been more than happy to come in, take House's position, and then be able to lord over House. Foreman had been so outraged about this that he walked, though Cuddy couldn't say she was upset with that either. It had been a hard choice, because both of them were amazing but when it came down to it, she had seen far more potential in Chase as a leader. He was the only one on the team at that point who had managed to solve cases by himself. No one else laid claim to that. It was ultimately what gave him the position over Foreman.  
  
House was none too happy about this, of course, but he also knew the sooner he got his medical license reinstated, the sooner Chase wasn't going to be head of the department so he had been showing up for work and to do his rotations over again so he could make that happen as soon as possible. It would take months of work but he was aware that dragging his feet wasn't going to help his case. Thought word on the street was that he was making it hell for all the doctors who were trying to "teach" him, not to mention the students in the classes.  
  
Leila much preferred Chase as the head of diagnostics and thought Cuddy had made the right choice. She had given her two cents on the matter and pointed out a few things in a quick blurb about how Chase might be better. She hoped Cuddy would take it to heart and it turned out that she had. House was sitting behind his desk going through some of his mail when she entered the room. The bruise on her face was completely faded by that point. She was glad because she was hating the fact that she had been "marked" by his mistake for so long.  
  
"What's this about?" He asked softly, knowing that she hadn't shown up there alone for the first time in a week to tell him something nice.  
  
"I figured out how you can repay me." She said and sat down in the the overly comfortable white chair by the door. She wanted one of those for her office. She had noticed that Cuddy hadn't received the ring or any kind of marriage proposal. She had no idea why House was not doing it, as she hadn't called attention to anything that had happened.  
  
"Repay you?"  
  
"Don't play stupid, House. If anything you owe me five million dollars and far more in emotional damages so you better shut the fuck up and listen to the offer I'm about to put on the table." She told him firmly. For once he didn't have a smart ass remark to that. Maybe he really was feeling just as guilty about this as he should, he was just really good at hiding it from everyone. "First off, tell me why you haven't proposed to her yet."  
  
"Tell me why you didn't go to the cops." He shot back at her and set down the envelope and letter opener he was holding angrily. He knew he had very little right to be the angry one here, but it was a defense mechanism. If he had a chance at making her feel guilty for all of this it might distract her from what the real issue was.  
  
"I didn't go to the cops, I went to A cop. Things are being taken care of. Frankly it's none of your business. Now tell me why you haven't proposed." She said. She hadn't been sleeping well, Wilson had noticed. She had a bit of PTSD from what had happened and had been jumpy, however she told him it was just residual nerves from a few stressful days at work.   
  
After about three days her jumpiness had cleared but she still wasn't sleeping right. Wilson slept like a rock so he never noticed her getting in and out of bed. Besides they spent most of their time at her place and Sawyer slept on the the california king with them, there was always movement while they slept.  
  
"Holy shit, you went to that loose canon fucker? Jesus Leila what did you tell him? He's going to kill me!" House yelled at her. If that Mark guy had gotten so damn upset with him for punching her he was sure getting her robbed a gun point would be a far more serious offense.  
  
"Don't worry, I left your name out of it. He doesn't know. Besides this isn't even the point!" She yelled, "Tell me what you are waiting for. I didn't tell Cuddy what happened, I didn't file an official report, I let you get away with your shitty actions once again for her happiness and--"  
  
"Why do you care about how happy she is?" House asked. Leila looked at him like he was stupid. However he saw this as him striking a nerve, yet he still couldn't figure out what her weird, sudden devotion to Cuddy was. "You think I'm the scum of the earth yet you keep letting me get away with things so she'll be protected. Why?"  
  
"Fine, since you keep deflecting and I don't have time for your shit, this is the offer on how you can repay me." Leila said. House knew she was hiding something now, just not what. Why couldn't she answer that question? It was a rather simple one. All she'd have to say was something like 'because I'm not a bitch' but she wasn't even doing that.  
  
"Lay down the cards then." He said. At least he had now been able to avoid why he had postponed proposing to Cuddy. It had been guilt, that had been a HUGE factor. The ring seemed like the 40 pieces of silver given to Judas at that point and until he was sure he knew how she felt about the situation he wasn't going to give Cuddy the ring so she could flaunt it in everyone's faces and remind Leila of what had happened every damn time she saw it.  
  
"Tonight I want to meet you at the club, her as well. Bring the ring. You will be humiliated tonight, you will be dominated by me, you will be punished. You will then get on your hands and knees and show utter submission to her as you present the ring and ask for her hand in marriage. No you don't get to know the details of what I have planned. No you don't get to negotiate. You fail to show up with her at 8 o'clock sharp I tell her everything that happened in way of getting that ring. Understood?" She asked him. He had never heard her speak in that tone before, probably because he had only ever seen her get dominated by Wilson, not be dominant. However the tone she spoke in was one inherent to a dominatrix and he knew she was damn serious and there was no room for negotiating as much as he wanted to try.  
  
"Why do you--"  
  
"You said you owe me, and this is your payment. Do it or pay the piper." She said and then swiftly turned and stormed out of there. She wasn't about to give him a chance to worm his way into jerking her around with his words. House had to now sit there and weigh the possibilities. Which outcome would be less horrible for him? For Cuddy? Should he just tell her himself what had actually happened? Take Leila up on her offer? Or let Leila tell her in the morning about everything?  
  
He had promised Cuddy if he was going to propose to her he would do it right. Leila doing this could facilitate in making Cuddy see how damn serious he was. He knew that woman would put him through the wringer, humiliate and hurt him. It may be worth it to feel guilt free about all of this and finally secure Cuddy in his life forever. He looked at the clock on the wall. He had a little over two hours before work ended and the deadline on approaching Cuddy ended.

* * *

Leila waited with Wilson in her private room at the club. It was a few minutes til 8 and she was pretty sure House wasn't showing up. She wasn't going to contact him to remind him, nor was she going to plead him to reconsider. He either did this or he was screwed, she was done caving to him. Wilson had been briefed on the situation as much as she'd allow him to be. She had told him that House had approached her, offering for her to come up with something he could do in way of apologizing for the hell he had put her through. This was what she had come up with. That was it, he didn't know more, not even about the impending proposal if it were to come down to that. She looked at her watch, it was 7:58. He wasn't going to show and she was going to have to tell Cuddy. The whole thing made her stomach knot.  
  
"I just don't get why this is so important to you." Wilson told her, "You seem more on edge than I've ever seen you, even after he punched you in the face and you weren't letting me touch you." She turned and looked at him.  
  
"There is just a lot of emotional aspects tied into this, James. I'll explain everything to you if he doesn't show up. If he knows what's good for him, he will." She said. The time on her watch switched to 7:59. She was getting angry and upset and scared all at the same time. Then there was a buzz at the door.  
  
"Looks like you are going to get your wish." He said with a slight smile. She breathed a huge sigh of relief and went to the door. When she opened it, House was standing there, Cuddy was by his side.  
  
"Why is he here?" He immediately demanded.  
  
"You don't get to call the shots, House." Leila snapped at him, "We are going to the dungeon now."  
  
"Leila I don't exactly understand what this is all about." Cuddy said as Leila pushed passed them and started to head down the hall towards the private dungeon they had all used before.  
  
"He told me that he owed me big time and this is what he owes me. What is there to understand?" She asked, not turning back to look at any one of them as she made her way down the hall. Cuddy was intrigued by this. As much as she hated to admit it, it actually turned her on. The idea that House would finally get put in his place and humiliated by the woman he had gone out of his way to target was insanely arousing. She was far more confused about why House had agreed to this than nervous or afraid. She wanted to see it happen. The hell if she'd ever say that to House though. For her this moment was long in coming and she wasn't going to stop it if she had a say in the matter.  
  
She followed House down the hall, Wilson was close behind them. Leila used her key card to open the door to the dungeon and turn the light on. On a small metal stand by the rack there was an assortment of items. Things that looked pointy and rather unappealing. Had House actually agreed to all of this? A shudder went through Cuddy's body. She still wanted to watch, she didn't care, as long as he didn't drop the safe word she knew everything was okay.  
  
House approached the rack, as it was clearly where Leila wanted him and then hopped up onto it so he was sitting. He set his cane down, he had gotten a new one after Mark had broken his. It was a rather nice, hand carved one that caught his eye when he went to pick it out at the head shop that he frequented. He glanced over to the tray of items. A box of sterile needles, a Wartenberg wheel, and a lighter. Behind that was a vicious looking riding crop. He looked back to Leila, she was dressed in a black cat suit. It wasn't full body, it was cut off at her thighs. On her feet she was wearing knee high, lace up, black stiletto boots. She couldn't look more like a dominatrix if she tried.  
  
"Strip." She told him forcefully.  
  
"Not if he's here. That wasn't part of the deal." House said, motioning to Wilson. Leila turned and looked at him. They had already discussed the possibility of House wanting him to leave. House didn't know the room had closed circuit TV abilities and Wilson could watch them from the private room if she turned the cameras on, which she would as soon as he left.  
  
"But Cuddy--"  
  
"James, he's right. That wasn't part of the deal. You'll just have to use your imagination." She told him. At least he was playing the part of being upset well. He already knew the deal. She came over to him and pulled him into a kiss. "Don't worry, you'll be seeing plenty of me later." She smiled.  
  
"Alright. I'm going to hold you to that." He told her and left. Leila shut the door and locked it, discretely flipping on the switch to the hidden cameras in there.  
  
"We need a safe word, Leila." House said seriously, though he knew that he wasn't allowed to use it at all, he wanted to put Cuddy at ease. He had already resigned himself to the fact that whatever happened was going to happen and he had to take all of it or Leila might renege on the entire thing. Cuddy need not know about how deep he was in shit with her.  
  
"How about 'rose'?" Leila suggested. House held back a growl, she was being a horrible bitch right now but in the end part of him felt like he deserved it anyway.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"James and I use names of flowers for code words, that's one we don't use." She shrugged like she had this all planned out and her suggestion was completely normal. House knew this couldn't be the case, however Cuddy was buying it, hook, line, and sinker so he just agreed.  
  
"Alright, rose it is then." He sighed and stood up. He pulled his black shirt up off over his head and tossed it to the floor before starting on his pants.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this, House?" Cuddy asked as she approached the rack and got a closer look at what was on the tray. She swallowed hard, what the hell was Leila planning to do to him here? "Why do you have a Wartenberg pinwheel? That's to test sensation in hospital patients." She asked, looking over at Leila.  
  
"It's also great in sensation play. It can be pleasurable or it can be torturous." She explained, "Let me show you." Leila quickly grabbed the wheel and came over to Cuddy. She stood behind her and gently moved her hair aside to expose her neck. She moved in and breathed on it gently, letting the hot air cover it. Cuddy tilted her head to the side. House froze in his tracks as he watched this, it was damn hot and he felt himself start to get aroused. Was this her plan all along? Fuck he couldn't start out on this endeavor aroused. He didn't think it would help his case.  
  
Leila lifted the wheel to Cuddy's neck and very gently ran it over the tender skin there. It was done with a very light touch. The mechanism was basically a metal wheel with tiny little spikes on it. It was like being pricked by several needles in rapid succession as it was rolled over the skin. It was used to test for paralyzation in patients with back or neck injuries.   
The harder it was pressed into the skin, the more painful the sensation, which helped measure how bad the numbness was in the body. What Leila had just done had felt amazing, a painful and pleasurable tickle of pin pricks running over her neck, causing a chill to spread over her body that only ignited her arousal more.  
  
"See? If it's done like that, it can be very, very nice." She breathed softly in Cuddy's ear. "Did you like that Lisa?" She asked. House studied them, they seemed to be in their own little world. Cuddy had gotten into sub space with him several times over the past week and he knew she was starting to reach it now. It kind of bummed him out that she trusted Leila so deeply with things of this nature.  
  
"Yes..." she breathed. Leila smiled and ran the wheel over her neck and then down her shoulder blade, then back over her shoulder and down her back a ways. She was still using a very light touch. Cuddy had chosen to wear a spaghetti strap red dress which gave Leila perfect access to all of this without having to do much rearranging of clothing. She worked quickly, with expertise, and Cuddy ended up letting out a moan when Leila did stop.  
  
"See? Things aren't so scary once you try them." She said and turned Cuddy to look at her, "Do you trust me with him now? That I know what I'm doing?" Cuddy's half closed eyes fluttered open to look up at the taller, more dominant woman. That's when House saw it, for a very brief second he saw it. Leila had feelings for Cuddy far beyond a friendship. He knew this because the way Leila was standing it looked like she was about to kiss the woman but stopped herself before it could get further.  
  
"Yeah I...I trust you." she breathed. House couldn't tell if Cuddy even noticed what had just happened. If she at all knew Leila was about to mack on her hard core. Though there was a huge chance she had slipped into sub space and everything was totally awesome and she had lost the ability to know this or even care if that was the case.  
  
"Good girl. Now, take a seat over there and watch me play with House, alright?" She asked, nodding her head slightly to subconsciously influence Cuddy into doing it. Cuddy nodded her head back slowly and then in a lighter than air walk, she went and sat down on the spanking bench which was across from the rack. She looked over at them with rapt attention and lust filled eyes.  
  
"You're good." House said to her softly as he got his pants off. Unfortunately by that point he was completely aroused, his cock stood erect and he hated her for this. He may not like her or even want to fuck her, however he couldn't deny that she was insanely hot, or the fact that he had thought about her dominating Cuddy and him getting to watch on more than one occasion.  
  
"I think we've established that." She smiled, "On the table, I need to restrain you." She told him. "From this point on I am Mistress or Ma'am. Is that understood?" She asked him.  
  
"Yes Mistress." he said, begruginqly and then laid back. He was surprised how gentle she was getting his legs into position to be strapped down, along with his wrists. He assumed she was going to be far more brutal than she was at that point. He had no idea what her game was here, but just the mere fact that he was now restrained and willingly submitting to her was humiliating enough for him. He guessed she probably already knew this.  
  
"Good boy. Now, I said I wanted to cause some pain and humiliation, right?" She asked him and then grabbed the riding crop from the tray.  
  
"You say a lot of things." He snapped back at her and before he could even blink she had slapped his cock with the crop. He cried out and tried to twist away but he was held fast by his restraints. Cuddy's eyes went wide. Wow, that was damn hot. She knew it was wrong because it obviously hurt him but...then she saw it. His cock twitched moments after Leila moved the crop back. He liked it. Some weird part of him liked this. She smiled slightly, this was just too good.  
  
"Look at the fucking ego on you, little boy. Fine, if you won't submit to me, I might have to get some help." She smiled and looked over at Cuddy who looked like someone had pushed her arousal switch passed 'on' to 'maximum overdrive'. "I think I might need your help for this."  
  
"Oh God." House breathed and struggled a bit more. He was going to be found out, not that he was a switch by any means, nor had he ever been dominated sexually, but he did have fantasies, all of which involved Cuddy. Either it was a lucky guess on Leila's part or it was something she knew. He couldn't put either of those possibilities past him.  
  
"Okay but I've never done anything like this." Cuddy said with very little hesitation as she stood up and walked over to them. "I don't want to hurt him."  
  
"He knows the safe word. Besides, he can take a lot more pain than you think he can." Leila told her and then handed over the crop. She got behind Cuddy and took the wrist of the hand holding the crop into her gently. She pressed her body close behind Cuddy's and leaned down to whisper in her ear.  
  
"DAMMIT! STOP BEING SO HOT WITH HER!" House yelled. "THAT'S WHY I'M HARD LIKE THIS!"  
  
"Oh really? So me slapping that pathetic dick only sustained the arousal defying all logic?" Leila asked him. Cuddy groaned a bit, no one ever talked to House this way. It was so out of the ordinary it became taboo which made it extremely hot to her.  
  
"You are such a fucking BITCH LEILA!" He yelled at her. Suddenly he felt another slap to him, except this time it was his balls and it was a dead center impact. Leila wasn't even holding the crop that meant that it had been Cuddy.  
  
"Didn't she tell you that from here on in it was Mistress or Ma'am?" Cuddy said in a very firm voice. House really didn't know whether to cry or cum at that point. How many times had he fantasized about this? By no means did he ever want it to be a full time thing, or even a once in a while thing. But a part of him felt that she truly deserved a moment like this to free herself from all the pain and anger he had caused her. He heard Leila let out a low, almost evil chuckle.  
  
"See? You are a natural at this. You know what his limits are. Go with your instincts. He owes this to you if he wants to show you how seriously he loves you. I mean, there needs to be a moment where you see how much he trusts you and I can't think of one better, especially if you two are going to be full time Dom/sub, right?" She giggled in Cuddy's ear.  
  
"Leila you are so dead, as soon as someone releases me from here I'm going to--" before he could finish his completely idle threat there was another slap to his balls. He let out a weird, almost girly cry that was rather alien to his own ears. He twisted and then his hips thrust up as if he was trying to fuck an invisible body on top of him.  
  
"What are you going to do Greg? Huh? Something worse than punching her in the face for telling the truth about your underhanded bullshit pranks?" Cuddy spat at him, "What are you going to do? because I'd LOVE to see you attempt it with me and Wilson here. Huh. All fucking TALK Greg..." she breathed and then lashed out at his cock again with the crop. He screamed when it connected and then beyond his control a moan escaped him. Leila was practically salivating watching this happen.  
  
"But she--"  
  
"She's not the one punishing you right now! And frankly I waited far to fucking long to do it myself! You are so God Damn lucky that I am as submissive as I am, that I put up with your nonsense day in and day out, that I want to be with you as your sub but you need to realize something Greg." She leaned in and grabbed his cock as she brought her face close to his. "LOOK AT ME!" she screamed and yanked on his hard member, digging her nails into him rather roughly. He was practically dripping precum at that point. Leila had no idea if Cuddy was aware of this but he was really turned on, probably the only thing keeping him from cumming was the random bits of pain she was causing him. He had no way to predict them so he was always shocked out of orgasm. HIs eyes opened and he did look at her.  
  
He wasn't exactly sure what he was seeing behind them either. It wasn't that the look in her eyes scared him or was down right confusing but there was such a flood of emotions in there. Love, lust, power, fear, compassion, it was like her brain was doing a mad scramble to process everything she was feeling and her eyes were a chaotic swirl of every emotion she had ever had regarding him.  
  
"I may be your sub, I may understand that's my place in this relationship. But keep in mind, I own you. If I wanted to to crawl after me you would, if I wanted you to kiss my feet, you would, if I wanted to tell you when you could take a piss you'd ask me every fucking time. I fucking own you, I'M the one on control. YOU just got lucky." She hissed, "Say it."  
  
"Oh sweet Jesus." Leila breathed, this was too much, everything was so opposite from how it had been and Cuddy was having her moment and both her and House were clearly loving it on some level. She was positive they didn't even hear her, or notice when she practically stumbled back and had to sit down. Her legs were shaky and weak with arousal. She was going to fuck the ever living hell out of Wilson once she got out of there.  
  
"Cu--"  
  
"DID I FUCKING STUTTER!?"  
  
"You...I...I got lucky...you're the one in control here." He said softly, but she didn't like that, it wasn't good enough. She had to make sure he understood the situation. That she would play the part she was given by nature but he would understand what the ultimate roles were.  
  
"I couldn't quite hear you GREG." She spat at him. The grip on his dick got far tighter, he nails almost piercing his skin, threatening to draw blood at any second if he didn't obey and this just made the whole thing hotter to him. The pain, the pleasure, the intensity of her words. He just wanted to cum, oh dear God just let him cum. She was doing a pretty damn good job of keeping the orgasm at bay though. He had no idea where this was coming from, or if she'd ever even be able to tap into this alpha brain again but he was fucking loving it in the moment. "NOW!"  
  
"YOU OWN ME! YOU'RE IN CONTROL! SWEET HOLY HELL LET ME CUM! PLEASE!" He screamed. Leila orgasmed at his words, a rather strong one for just sitting there doing nothing. That was so damn intense and unexpected she couldn't help but have some sort of release that wouldn't interrupt them. She stayed silent through it, biting down on her lower lip to keep from distracting them, not that they ever could be, they were in their own little scene now. It wasn't uncommon for the BDSM lifestyle.  
  
"Good boy." She told him. She released him from her maniacally strong grip and pulled him into a rough kiss. She brought her hand up to his mouth, it was soaked in his pre-cum. She wiped a bit of it over his lips and on instinct he licked them clean. She shuddered and then quickly moved. She got on the table, being careful of his leg and took his cock into her mouth. A split second later he screamed out in a way she had never heard as he came. He thrust up wildly, had he not been strapped to the table he'd have probably broken her nose or her jaw. She swallowed everything he pumped into her mouth and waited for him to calm down before crawling back up to his face. She pressed her lips into his softly.  
  
"My...back pocket." He said softly. She looked at him a bit confused. Those were very different words than "I love you."  
  
"House?" she asked softly, she hoped she didn't cause him to blow a gasket. Leila, not hearing what he had said just knowing he'd said something because she heard his voice, looked up. She was also kind of afraid that this had snapped him.  
  
"He said 'my back pocket' what does that mean?" Cuddy asked. In the midst of all this she had cum as well and was kind of in a weird, orgasm induced haze from the power trip she had been on with him.  
  
"Well maybe you should check it. I'd do it but I don't need jokes later about how I willingly went into his pants." Leila said and stood up. She knew what this moment was about to be so she went and started to release House from the restraints. Cuddy, still kind of dazed, hopped off of the table and did exactly what she was told. She grabbed his pants and went through the pockets. In the last one she checked she felt a ring. It wasn't in a box it was just a ring. She blinked a few times and pulled it out slowly.  
  
Last week he had proposed marriage to her after a blow job and hadn't brought it up again since. However whatever happened here tonight, maybe Leila was even in on it, this was his attempt to "do it right" and in an odd House sort of way it was romantic. When she actually saw the ring she gasped, and almost dropped it. She turned to look at him, House was already off the table and on his knees with the help of Leila. He was looking up at her.  
  
"Please, own me forever?" He asked her. Her jaw dropped, she looked down at the ring, the piece of jewelry she had no idea cost five million dollars and back to House. She let out an odd sort of laughing gasp of air. Then she started to cry. She fell onto her knees in front of him and wrapped her arms around him tightly, pulling him into an embrace so hard she could swear she was about to meld with his body.  
  
"Yes...yes House....yes..." She cried, pressing her face into his neck and just sobbing. This had all been so amazing, it wasn't exactly an engagement story she could tell people but she was sure she could just come up with something more age appropriate in her head. What he had just done here had been perfect and exactly like him. She didn't know how much a part of this Leila had played but big or small, getting him to do something like this was a feat. She couldn't have been more happy than she was in that very moment.  
  
"Here..." he said and moved her back from him slightly. He took her hand, which was very shakily holding the ring and slipped it onto her finger gently. It was a perfect fit. She looked down at it and then back to him.  
  
"I don't even know how you afforded this." She breathed and then pulled him into a kiss.  
  
"I really don't know either." He said, resisting the urge to glance at Leila and hoping she didn't comment.  
  
"However he did, I'm sure he's not in debt to anyone over it. He's a changed man now, Lisa." Leila laughed. Then there was a slight tapping at the door. She sighed and looked over at it before looking back to them. "I'll get it, you two love birds have fun being all cute and sweet." She walked to the door and opened it before stepping out into the hallway to see Wilson there. He looked worried which knocked any thoughts of fucking him right out of her head in an instant.  
  
"Leila, I....I just got a call because House's landlord wasn't getting an answer on his phone. I'm his emergency contact." Wilson said, he looked pale and shaken, almost sick.  
  
"What? But House is here, why would anyone need to--"  
  
"There was an explosion in his apartment, took out almost half the building, it originated from there. They are already calling it intentional. Whoever did it, obviously expected him to be there tonight." Wilson said, "And he would have been had you not insisted that he come here to do this. What's going on?" He asked. Leila had no idea, but who would intentionally blow up House's apartment. Yeah the guy pissed people off but to that extent? She clearly had no clue. Had J.B come back to get revenge? She hadn't heard about that situation since she told Mark a week ago. Was this someone else? A disgruntled patient?  
  
"I...I don't know." She whispered, "But...we can wait to tell him. His apartment is going to be just as blown up when he's done having his moment in there than if we rush in to tell him now. Let him have his five more minutes of happiness before it all comes crashing down for him again." This was bad. Someone clearly wanted House dead, and she didn't even know if he should be told right away that the explosion was intentional. She'd convince Wilson to tell him that he didn't know or it had been a gas leak. Whatever this was, it was a dangerous prospect and she had the feeling that she was a huge part of it.


	16. Chapter 16

By the time they did get to House's apartment, everything was pretty much cleared up. The area around his place was taped off with crime scene tape but he passed it anyway. Cuddy, Leila, and Wilson followed after him quickly, trying to get him to come back because he wasn't allowed past that point but of course being House, he didn't listen or care. There was nothing in that pile that was recognizable. The entire building had to be evacuated because of the explosion. The good news was only two people had actually been hurt and even then only minor injuries. House just stood there silently, poking at the debris with his cane.  
  
"House." Cuddy said and put her hands on his shoulders. He shrugged them off wordlessly and headed towards where his bedroom used to be. Cuddy looked at Leila, this wasn't good, though it seemed everyone knew that to be the case. Cuddy followed after him quickly, well as quick as she could and not break her neck by tripping over what was left of every possession he ever had. "House....it was a bad idea to come her. How about we just go back to my place. You can stay with me as long as you need to."  
  
He was still ignoring her. He got to what looked like might have been his bed at some point and flipped what was left of the box spring. After clearing up some ash and other weird looking material he cleared up and opening and pulled a silver box from the rubble. It was kind of large, about the size of a shoe box, and had a combination lock on it. Though the silver could be seen, it was mostly black, covered with ash. He tucked it under his arm and stood up again.  
  
"What is that?" Cuddy asked him softly.  
  
"Not important." He told her.  
  
"It was important enough that it's the first thing you checked." She told him. He looked at her.  
  
"Can we just go now?" He asked and started to head away from the scene of the crime. She had no idea what was in that box, but clearly whatever he had put in it was important, and so much that he had gotten some sort of fireproof box to put it in. The explosion had emanated from the kitchen. Due to where he kept the box, in a place he had hollowed out under the floor boards of his bed, there had been little chance of it blowing up, all he had to worry about was the fire and since the box was fireproof that hadn't ended up being an issue.  
  
"House will you just..." She started and he shoved her back.  
  
"My life just exploded, literally, I don't want to talk." He told her firmly and headed to their car. Cuddy looked at Leila.  
  
"Go, take care of him, give me a call if he starts to get worse." She said. Cuddy nodded and headed after him, though he was sober he'd want her to drive and she knew that. Besides, it wasn't like she was going to let him drive anyway, he was far too distraught. This entire thing worried her, if the police were saying that it was done intentionally, what was the reason? Who was pissed off at him enough that they would blow up his entire apartment? She had a gut feeling Leila knew something but wasn't telling and she was 100% sure House knew something he wasn't saying as well.

* * *

When they got back to her place, he had stayed silent the whole trip, she got out of the car and came over to his door. She opened it slowly. He was just sitting there, with the box (which was still locked) in his lap. His eyes were looking straight ahead and out of focus like he was trying to process something but couldn't get a grip on any solid theories. It was like he had been handed the diagnostics case of a life time and he was haunted with the idea that he already knew there was no possible way of solving it.  
  
"Do you want to come in or are you going to stay there?" She asked him.  
  
"I want vicodin." He said softly.  
  
"House...you don't want vicodin." She said, getting down a bit. Though she could understand why he was saying that she knew that him running back to his pills wasn't going to make   
this situation any better. In fact, it would just make it worse.  
  
"No, I don't need vicodin. I still want it." He snapped at her, his eyes coming into focus and his head turning to look in her direction. She shoved her back, none too gently, and stood up.   
  
The box was shifted and put under his arm again as he grabbed his cane and headed towards her front door. She really had no clue what to say to him at this point, it wasn't like her house had blown up or that this was even a common situation for people to be in. What could she say to him? That she knew how he felt? That would just be stupid and would make him irrationally angry.  
  
All she could do was get the door open for him and let him in the house. He walked in and set the box down on the table near the door before heading into the kitchen. She glanced at it and then followed him, she wondered if the box had anything to do with why is apartment had exploded. She doubted it but with him there could be all sorts of connections. For all she knew he was involved with the mafia and was hiding evidence in that thing.  
  
"Were they after the box?" She asked him.  
  
"No, there's only things of sentimental value in there. I don't think some pictures and documents would be cause to destroy my life." He said and found what he was apparently looking for, a large bottle of vodka.  
  
"What's so sentimental that you felt the need to keep it in a fireproof locked box?" Cuddy asked him. Once again he didn't answer and opened the bottle of vodka. He started to down it quickly and she gently pulled it away from his mouth. "Please talk to me."  
  
"I told you it's not important. Can you just drop it?" He snapped at her. The only person who knew what was in that box was Wilson and he was hoping to God for once that guy kept his mouth shut, though Leila could probably milk it out of him with a hand or blow job. That was if he gave some sort of indication that he knew as well and House really didn't want people to know what was in there. It was a collection of things that was rather out of character for him and not ever meant to be seen until after he was dead, should he leave the Earth before Cuddy. It was his plan B, his send off to her should he die tragically or kill himself. That's why he didn't want her to know about it. The problem was it did hold legal documents and original copies at that, so he did need to have it. To open it now would be far too morbid and he especially didn't want to tell her what was in there cause she'd freak out.  
  
"It's is important! You don't just head right to some random locked up box that you clearly HID in your apartment right after it's blown up if--"  
  
"SHUT UP!" He yelled at her. He yanked his hand away from her, the one holding the bottle of vodka, and started to drink again. The whole idea that he would have been there that night, at the time of the explosion, had Leila not laid down the offer she had, was also screwing with him. He had been there that night too, in order to get changed to go to the club and then pick up Cuddy. He didn't like that idea that otherwise he would have probably just been sitting on his couch when it happened. Because of what had happened with her and the ring he had been spending his nights there instead of Cuddy's place and he would have been dead in seconds had he stayed. Even worse, he had waited til the last minute to actually leave and had called off the whole thing in his brain at least three times before deciding it was in his best interest. He didn't believe in fate, but this was kind of making it hard to.  
  
"I can't tell you I know how this feels. I won't say I know this must be hard for you, because that's a given, but keeping it inside and trying to drown it with alcohol isn't going to help either." She told him. He ignored her and went to sit on the couch in her living room.  
  
"Oh it'll help." He said and started to drink more, "I'll pass out and forget about this whole shit storm for at least 8 hours." Cuddy didn't like to see him like this. It reminded her far too much of a few weeks ago when he had gone off the deep end. None of this was right and his emotional state was in heavy question at that moment. She sat down next to him.  
  
"House, I love you, and I am overwhelmingly grateful that you weren't in there when that happened. I am here for you no matter what so please understand that you are not alone in this." She said to him softly. He looked down at her, the bottle of vodka still clutched in his hand, his knuckles were white he was holding onto it so hard.  
  
"I know." He whispered.

* * *

The last thing Cuddy remembered was falling asleep on the couch. She had been on an emotional roller coaster and with the engagement then House's life being blown apart by something other than him, she was just a wreck. When she woke up, he wasn't there, and she looked around. She had no idea where he could have went, unless it was too the bed, then he would have woken her right?  
  
"House?" She called softly. She didn't get a response. She was worried so she got up slowly and started to look around the house. If he was doing something he shouldn't be doing she wanted to not alert him to the fact that she was now awake. Rubbing more sleep from her eyes she rounded the corner and entered her bed room, he was on the bed, his back to her but the mystery box was open. He looked like he had been sorting through it but now he was just sitting there holding something. She had no idea what, it looked like a piece of paper but it was a bad angle. "House."  
  
He almost jumped out of his skin, he jammed one pile into the box leaving the other pile out and turned to look at her like he was guilty. It also looked like he may have been crying but she decided not to call attention to that. She approached the bed slowly, figuring what he didn't want her to see had been quickly jammed back in the box anyway.  
  
"Are you okay? I mean I know you're not okay but....what are you trying to hide from me?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing. It's stuff you weren't meant to ever see unless I died first and would impact you in no way if that doesn't happen so can you just--"  
  
"Leila said we need to be open with each other."  
  
"Leila also thinks that the majority of her jokes are funny. Here's a hint, if Wilson laughs that hard, it's not funny." He said. Cuddy had to snicker at that one.  
  
"They are an interesting pair." She agreed and sat on the bed. She noticed that was in the pile that was 'okay' for her to see were legal documents, notarized official letters, and a sealed envelope with her name on it. Of course if it was sealed it'd be fine for her to see because she didn't have xray vision. "House, really what could be so upsetting to me that you want to keep it all in a box?"  
  
"Well for one it was my back up plan to make sure you were taken care of and okay if I were to die by my own reckless behavior. My will a deed to an old summer cabin that's kind of defunct that was willed to me that I never go to but you could sell for quite a bit cause it's in a good area, and a letter reassuring you that my death wasn't your fault. The rest is sentimental stuff I couldn't part with and it just happened to end up there because the box was fire proof. One has little to do with the other but Wilson was the only one who knew and was instructed to just give you certain things." House said. "Those are the things." He pointed to the pile.  
  
"You were going to give me a deed to a house?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah, why not? I don't want to go through all the paper work of selling it or trying to show it, or pay for a realtor to do it, and like I said it's in a really good area, all high class, your   
people. Jews as far as the eye can see." He smiled at her slightly.  
  
"Sentimental? Like, old girlfriend stuff?" she asked, she wouldn't be hurt if he said yes she would just be really touched that he kept things like that when he tried to put on such a cold, uncaring demeanor. He sighed softly.  
  
"Kind of." He told her. He hesitated and then opened the box. Inside there were pictures and a few letters. There was also a random stuffed giraffe, it was rather small, but one she recognized instantly.  
  
"Where did you get that?" She asked, pointing at it. She moved in and saw the pictures were her in college, and him, and then a few of her in Halloween costumes that were sexy from the hospital Halloween parties. All of this was sentimental to him? He kept all of this for all these years?  
  
"Well I did give it to you, and you threw it out after I kind of left your life when we fucked in college and I saw it sitting outside of your dorm near some other trash, it wasn't dirty so I kind of took it." He shrugged, "It was abandoned property so you can't get upset." He said when he noticed her bottom lip start to tremble.  
  
"I'm not upset, I'm...amazingly touched by this. You kept all of this?" She asked him.  
  
"Yeah...so?"  
  
"House...this is...all these years?" It amazed her that he had just never stopped. There wasn't a trace of another woman in there. The few notes in there were really really stupid ones, just some class notes she had given him that she didn't need, one was kind of a flirty love letter she had given him.  
  
"They were comforting." He said like it didn't matter. She leaned in and nabbed a picture of her in a sexy sleeping beauty outfit and held it up. "Self love is important too." he said and snatched it back. She laughed a bit but a few tears spilled.  
  
"I'm...I'm not upset, I don't think it's stupid, and there really was no reason to hide this from me. Well maybe I'm kind of upset that you assumed your reckless behavior would kill you so you had to prepare but...still it didn't kill you so what's to get angry about?" She asked and then pulled him into a deep, loving kiss.  
  
"I think, it was more about me not wanting you to see a tiny little soft spot. However I guess I came to the conclusion the more I resisted the more you'd think it was something illegal or offensive or something I was ashamed of. I'm just kind of embarrassed that there is this side of me." He said when the kiss broke and pulled her more into his arms.  
  
"How far away is this cabin?" She asked him softly and kissed his jaw line gently, feeling his sharp scruff against her lips.  
  
"Not that far. Edgewater, by that stupid Swan lake or whatever." He rolled his eyes. She looked at him.  
  
"You could live there and commute I mean--"  
  
"We could live there or it's not a deal." He said firmly. She blinked a few times a bit stunned. She guessed she assumed that even though they had just gotten engaged he'd still want his bachelor pad for a bit, however now that had been taken away he didn't have that option. Still, he hadn't shown signs of wanting to go to a hotel or be alone. That was a very good thing.  
  
"Yeah I'll...I mean I'll have to see it first and how 'defunct' it is but...how about after the wedding?" She asked softly, "We can both get a fresh start there. You have any pictures of it?"  
  
"No, but we can go there tomorrow if you want. I mean I'm emotionally traumatized and can't work and so is my girlfriend." He told her with a smile. She laughed a bit at his lame comment and attempt to get out of work but he did have a point. What had happened was very traumatic.  
  
"Alright, we'll go and check it out. If it's not too bad we can start to renovate it now and it'll be ready to move into in no time. Unless this engagement was just a placeholder and you intend to put off the marriage forever." She told him.  
  
"No, set a date, we'll do it. Make it reasonable unless you want to sweet talk Leila into pulling a party out of her ass for you." He laughed a bit. Though with the way Leila had been looking at her at the club he was pretty sure Cuddy could sweet talk her into a lot of things. "Did you at all notice the way she was looking at you tonight? It only happened for a moment but--"  
  
"She didn't look at me any different than usual if I can recall right..." Cuddy said, though a lot of the night was a haze for her because of all that had happened. "Why? What are you implying?"  
  
"Nothing really. I just think she feels more for you than just friends. She does like chicks you know." He said and started to pack up the rest of the stuff. He set the box on the floor and then pulled her into his arms as he laid back on the bed. She was resting on top of him slightly, looking down into his eyes.  
  
"She likes people, House, I believe she told me it's being pansexual. It's not cut and try for her due to body parts." Cuddy laughed, "I can respect that, but it happens to be that way for me." She reached down and grabbed his dick through his pants gently.  
  
"Really? How do you know?" He asked. "You ever tried to be with a girl?"  
  
"You ever tried to be with a guy?" She asked him.  
  
"No...BUT I also will say right now and ONLY to you that it's not exactly something I'd say no to. Probably would be extreme circumstances but have you ever had a blow job? It's not like   
I'd have to look at the dude giving it to me." He smiled at her. She laughed loudly, okay that was a very House answer. He did like his blow jobs.  
  
"You make a good point. I just--"  
  
"Do you find her attractive?" He asked.  
  
"Well I mean, yeah, she has a great figure she's very nice, smart, funny, has bent over backwards to help you for God only knows what reason. She can't be a bad person even though she can be bitchy but really I shouldn't talk about women who can be bitchy." She laughed and used her thumb to start stroking him through his pants, "Why? Do you have a fantasy in that brain of yours?" He groaned softly and thrust up towards her hand gently.  
  
"Maybe. Look I really just want to watch you make out with her. That's where it can end. In the club too, no one else has to be there, well I'm sure Wilson will insist on it but you don't care about him--"  
  
"You kiss Wilson I'll kiss her." She smiled.  
  
"I am not going to make out with--"  
  
"No, just kiss him. More than a peck, less than making out and I will mack on Leila for a full five minutes." She laughed, because at that point she was 100% sure this wasn't even a   
possibility. There was no way in hell he'd ever kiss Wilson, even to see that happen. He groaned. "What? The thought of making out with Wilson turning you on?" she teased.  
  
"You know it's you and Leila I'm picturing....so speaking of women who can be bitchy." He smiled at her. She laughed and slapped his chest playfully.  
  
"You be nice of this blow job you are about to get, isn't going to happen." She told him and unzipped his pants.  
  
"Oh god..." He breathed, "When did you become a little cocksucking whore?"  
  
"The moment I stopped denying I like the humiliation of it." She smiled, "It's not, OVERLY humiliating but I mean it's kind of degrading to do that. Sticking a penis in your mouth until it ejaculates while the guy watches and says degrading things to you? Yeah..."  
  
"Well I could always talk about how strong and sexy and feminine you are...I just want the fucking blow job." He smiled as she started to stroke him teasingly.  
  
"Don't ruin the mood." She laughed. She shifted and then licked the tip of him thoroughly, like a lollipop, "I said I stopped denying I like the humiliation, so that's kind of your queue to let the degradation fly." With that she took the tip of him into her mouth and started to suck gently, swirling her tongue around the sensitive head, tasting the precum he'd already been producing.  
  
"Oh God." He breathed and tangled his hand in her hair. He pulled it back a bit so he could see her eyes more, "You are such a dirty little dean of medicine. You realize I'm your employee right?" He smiled and then his eyes rolled back in his head as she got more of him into her mouth, he let out a loud moan. "Holy shit you little slut....where the fuck did you learn to do this?"  
  
"Don't you know? I sit at home with my favorite dildo and pretend it's you." she breathed pulling off of him and starting to stroke him firmly, "I knew the day would come when you'd be my Master and I wanted to be ready for you." She was pumping him fast and with the way he was moaning she'd have to act quick because he was close.  
  
"Fuck you are such a tease." He breathed. She pulled her dress down, she was still in it from the club, so her strapless bra was now revealed giving her more cleavage. She moved and started to rub the tip of his cock and the shaft over her breasts. He looked down at her.  
  
"Are you actually...doing...tha---" He was cut off when he came, screaming out, his hands now clutching the bedspread tightly, his back arching, the cum landed under her chin, on her neck and then on her tits. She let out a soft moan and then giggled, that had been the kind of reaction she had been hoping for. When he was done, she licked him clean first and then started to slowly scrape the cum off of her skin then suck it from her fingers. "I really, really love you." He told her softly.  
  
"Trust me, I know this by now. I know it well." She smiled at him as she continued to eat her salty treat. His eye lids started to flutter shut. "Are you seriously going to go to sleep before returning the favor."  
  
"Look...I could give you a half assed orgasm now, or tomorrow morning you could wake up to me eating your pussy." He yawned slightly, "Which on--"  
  
"Tomorrow." she said before he could finish.  
  
"See...patience is a virtue." He laughed.  
  
"Well you better do it or I will sit on your face. Don't tease me with promises of oral sex, Master." She laughed and stood up, "I'm just going to rinse off what I couldn't get and I'll join you. I love you and now you can sleep well knowing that the feeling isn't leaving any time soon." She smiled and headed into the bathroom. She knew he was about to fall asleep so she planned to just masturbate in there quickly and then curl up next to him after she cleaned off. She'd sleep naked, make it easier for him. She was overjoyed that he had shared what he did with her. It took prodding, but a lot less than normal, so maybe he was making progress. Little did she know there was someone outside of her house right now looking to ruin that.


	17. Chapter 17

Immediately when they had gotten in the door after driving home from House's wrecked apartment Wilson tried to pull her into a hungry kiss. She shoved him back. She was so sure this was some how her fault that she wasn't in the mood for sex. What she was in the mood for was finding out who had done this and why so she could stop it before it got even worse. Wilson frowned a bit.  
  
"Okay us not having sex isn't going to bring his life back together." Wilson said. He kind of hated he was this amped up himself but really, what did it matter? What would change by putting off sex?  
  
"I know that but...I have to think." She told him and headed towards her bar. They had gone back to her place so she could check on Sawyer. He was pretty much fine, just laying on the couch as usual, didn't even get up to greet her. For such a huge dog he was kind of a wuss, but that was fine people saw his size before they could figure out what a push over he was.  
  
"You have to think so you are going to get alcohol?" Wilson asked as he followed her.  
  
"I will relax me." She said, "Making thoughts come easier." She started to pour herself a drink and he came up behind her and pinned her to the bar. She could feel his arousal pressing against her ass and bit back a groan. This was hot, he had never tried to dominate her without prompting and outside of the club for that matter.  
  
"Maybe what will relax you is a good fuck." He breathed in her ear. A shudder of pleasure ran through her. She had been teaching him to tap into this dominant side but she never expected he'd start to tap into it on his own this quickly. It was strangely hot.  
  
"James, maybe you need a drink too." She said, her voice barely above a whisper. She heard him chuckle, it was almost evil and then she did let out a groan. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them behind her.  
  
"What I need is you. You couldn't expect to let me what what happened to House and what you did to him and not get sex from it." He said and started to kiss and bite at her neck roughly. She cried out softly every time he nipped the sensitive skin there.  
  
"What turned you on more, the thought of me punishing his cock, or just his cock." She breathed, not about to go down in this without a fight. Her and him had discussed a lot of things about his and House's relationship. She knew he'd just take that as her teasing him not as some sort of questioning his sexuality. She was trying to bait him into getting more rough.  
  
"Oh, so that's how it's going to be. Well at least I know I have my options open." He said and slapped her across the ass roughly. Because of the dress she was in there was a loud SNAP to the leather. She screamed out in surprise. She really liked this side of him. Both of them identified as switch but she thought he might have only said that because he didn't want to admit to being full sub. She honestly had yet to see a true dominant side to him til that point, "Now, stop being a naughty little bitch and give me what I deserve."  
  
"A kick to the balls?" She asked. He laughed and then spun her around to face him, though she was still pinned up against the side of the bar. Sawyer looked on, absolutely not concerned by any of this. She had to smile at that, some guard dog he was.  
  
"Silly little girl...." He smiled and pulled her into a hungry kiss, he shoved her skirt up around her hips and reached his hand down to get to her panties when he found she wasn't wearing any. He groaned at this new information, "No wonder I could see your ass more than usual." He smiled.  
  
"I took them off after we got to the club, I assumed you'd want to go right to fucking after seeing House like that." She told him, "I'm a good slave to my Master if he knows how to tame me." Her wicked and cocky smile triggered something in him, it made him feel he had to prove that he could be in charge. If she was still cocky like that it still meant he hadn't won yet.  
  
"Trust me, I know how to tame little whores like you." He breathed. She let out a soft, breathy moan her hips thrusting towards his hand which still lingered by her pussy. He wrenched it back when he saw what she was doing, "Who said you get to cum? I'm the one in charge." He threw her to the floor onto the oriental rug near the couch. Sawyer let out a half yawn half whimper and then got off the couch and walked away. "Your guard dog sucks." He laughed a bit.  
  
"Oh trust me I know." She laughed, looking up at him before he quickly got down and pinned her to where she was. She was kind of glad that they could pause and have a light hearted moment like that and then go back to what they were doing. It wasn't like this had to be serious all the time, besides he had broken the concentration first so she took that as a cue for it to be okay to laugh for a moment. Maybe he needed to work off some nervous energy over doing this for the first time. It was okay with her.  
  
"Tell me," He breathed and pulled her dress down to expose her breasts, he knew full well in a dress like that she wouldn't be wearing a bra, she really didn't need to, it supported her enough without one, "What do you think of Cuddy?" He started to wriggle her out of her dress and she helped him by arching her hips up gracefully.  
  
"That's kind of a loaded question." She breathed and he slapped her across the tits kind of rough, clearly not as hard as he could. She cried out, more in surprise than pain. That really caught her off guard. Mostly cause he did a lot of breast exams and she knew this and it seemed kind of anti-him to do such a thing. Then again he may have issues when it came to that which would also make sense. Either way it was hot.  
  
"Well that kind of wasn't an answer." He told her, "And you know what I'm getting at, so spill it."  
  
"Uh I...she's hot okay? I'd fuck her in an instant but she's not into women...so--"  
  
"Really? That's...that's just great." He smiled and then got on top of her completely, pinning her down. He brought her arms up over her head and pinned her wrists there with one strong hand, the rest of his still clothed body pinning hers in place.  
  
"What do you think of her?" She asked. He slapped her tits again, this time it was harder. She cried out watching his eyes as he saw the way the moved due to the impact of his hand. Okay clearly he was into this he had just been holding back. Even though it seemed counter to his usual behavior as a psychiatrist she could understand where that behavior was coming from.  
  
"This is not a time where the slave gets to ask questions." He smiled wickedly and brought his hand down to unzip his pants. This was incredibly hot to her, she was just there, completely naked, still in her boots he hadn't taken those off for what ever reason, and he was completely covered. This just showed to her how much of a toy she now was and how he was in control and she loved it. He got his cock out and slammed it into her, with far more disregard than he had ever had. The combination of that and the animal lust in his eyes made her scream out in orgasm. He groaned but started to thrust anyway. "Who the fuck said you could cum."  
  
"I---I couldn't help it...you are so fucking hot right now." She breathed. Now things were rather painful for her because she was over sensitive. It wasn't that bad but she would have preferred a break before a fuck, however the fact that he didn't seem to care was enough for her not to seriously consider asking him to. He was really good at this, she guessed she shouldn't have underestimated him.  
  
"Am I?" He breathed, still keeping her arms pinned in place he brought his mouth down to her right nipple and started to suck back on it hard, more hard than was just pleasurable. There was a mixture in there now of pleasure and pain. She started to squirm roughly. Not knowing if she wanted to get away from him or if she wanted more.  
  
"Oh God, Master..." She breathed, she was kind of surprised that Master came out in place of 'James' but he really did deserve the title right now.  
  
"That's what I wanted to hear." He said, moving his mouth away from her only long enough to say it and then putting his lips right back over her nipple. She cried out and then he really started to pound into her, in a rather rough frenzy. His moans muffled by her tit, and her moans eclipsing that. Her back arched up towards him as well as her hips. If he kept going right she would orgasm a second time.  
  
Then something kind of odd happened, well odd for what she expected of him. He bit down into her nipple, not hard enough to break the skin, but it really did hurt and at the same time it triggered her second orgasm. He kept thrusting wildly through it and then orgasmed nearing the end of hers. After bucking against her wildly for a moment he relaxed and placed his head on her chest right between her breasts.  
  
"Sorry...I...I kind of..."  
  
"Don't...be sorry. That was....so awesome..." She laughed a bit. Since he had released his grip on her she brought her hand up to stroke his hair, "If I didn't call the safe word and I also clearly orgasmed from it, you don't have to be sorry, okay?" She leaned down to kiss the top of his head.  
  
"Well, I mean, I guess I don't know what came over me just now." He said and then kissed at her chest gently. He was kind of crushing her with his weight and she knew she'd have to tell him to move in a moment but for now it was fine.  
  
"It was a good thing, I've been waiting to see if you had it in you without me coaching it. Clearly you do, so...it's a good thing. However it's not something you get all the time." She laughed a bit.  
  
"It's not really something I want all the time." He agreed.  
  
"Well, then we will get along just fine." She smiled. For the moment she had completely forgotten about House and his problems, which was a good thing, it wasn't something she should be overly concerned with anyway.

* * *

The next morning, Cuddy woke up to an odd sensation. It was more that she had been half asleep and dreaming when her body had increased with pleasurable feelings. As they got stronger she became more awake and when she looked down, under the covers she saw House actually was fulfilling his promise of oral sex. She groaned loudly and threw the blankets back, she wanted to watch this.  
  
"Fuck....I didn't think you were serious..." She said and to be honest she really didn't think he was serious about this. House didn't exactly seem like the type who'd ever want to go down on anyone. It had sounded like a phony promise if she'd ever heard one. His glance just shifted up and their eyes met, he looked incredibly aroused by this which just made it that much more hot to her. She thrust her hips up towards him gently. His tongue moving   
expertly over her wet folds.  
  
He brought his hands up under her and cupped her ass, giving it a tight squeeze. Slowly he tilted her up more so she was a an angle. He pulled himself up and this way he was able to nuzzled his face in further. His nose pressing against her swollen clit and teasing it at he worked. She let out a gasp and then another moan. She had no idea when he had gotten so good at this, or even how, but holy fuck did she ever not want this to stop.  
  
"OH GOD! House! FUCK!" She cried and her hand found the top of his head. She grabbed at his short hair, tugging at it rather roughly. She was positive the feeling of his scruff on her tender skin only added to the pleasure she was also feeling. She heard him groan and then felt the vibrations against her which pushed her over the edge. Bucking as much as she could to meet his warm mouth before finally falling back to relax. He let go of her and gave her a few gentle licks before moving up to kiss her softly. She tasted herself on him and she couldn't exactly say it was a turn off.  
  
"Good?" He asked, kind of out of breath, which wasn't surprising.  
  
"Great way to wake up. I'm very surprised you actually did it though. Seemed like a way to get me to leave you alone last night." She laughed.  
  
"No I've been wanting to show you my skills in that area for a while. Those lollipops I have don't just taste good. They are practice." He smiled. She laughed and hit him playfully, though now she was sure she could never watch him suck on one of those again without getting aroused. She rolled over so she was straddling him, being careful of his leg.  
  
"You're hard." She breathed.  
  
"Yeah but I made you wait last night." He smiled at her.  
  
"Who are you and what have you done with the actual Greg House?" She laughed and kissed him softly.  
  
"Got him sober." He told her and then slapped her ass roughly, "Sober Greg still likes that big ass though."  
  
"Shut up!" She laughed and started to grind her hips against him gently. He half chuckled, half groaned back. "Can you uh...do something for me? Kind of always wanted to watch a guy...masturbate."  
  
"Yeah like I can't do that for you." He laughed, "In fact it'll be hotter with you watching." He put his hands on her waist and moved her over so he could get his dick out. She giggled and sat on her knees to watch him. "Anything else? Or just kind of go for it?"  
  
"Well...I mean you were talking about me kissing Leila last night. You clearly have some sort of fantasy to go along with that. I kind of want to hear it." She said. Not that she actually planned on doing anything with Leila and she still didn't think he was going to kiss Wilson to get it, hell she was sure he'd forgotten about that and had taken it as a joke anyway, she wanted to know what he thought of when he pictured the two of them together. It might be interesting.  
  
"Not sure if you wanna hear that." He breathed and started to stroke himself firmly. He turned his head to look at her, "Gets pretty kinky."  
  
"House I basically beat your balls last night. What could you tell me that would be that offensive?" She asked him. He groaned softly at the memory. That had been rather hot, not that he was ever going to let her have that kind of power again but it was a side of her he hadn't seen.  
  
"So you want the actual fantasy or just basics?" He asked.  
  
"The actual fantasy so whatever you picture when you think of me and her." Cuddy smiled at him and sat back a bit getting prepared to listen. He let out a soft moan. His hand working his shaft like it was his second job and she was sure it pretty much was his second job with as much as he probably did it.  
  
"Fine, but you can't get upset." He told her. She nodded slightly in agreement. It was just a fantasy, she could separate herself from that. Besides him saying it didn't mean she had to do it, it would just give her better insight into his mind. "Okay, so you are just in your office one day, minding your own business. I don't know what you do in there really, and Leila comes storming in. She starts complaining about how I'm this horrible, sexist jack ass and you need to do something about it. You give her some bullshit line about how you don't control me and it's her problem." He paused and groaned softly. His eyes were closed at this point and though she could have gotten offended at all of that once she reminded herself it was just fantasy it was easier to let it go.  
  
"She tells you that someone needs to teach you a lesson, loosen you up a bit and asks you when the last time you got fucked was. At that point she's completely in your face, staring you down. You tell her that she's being inappropriate and needs to leave. She says that she thinks you need a good dose of vitamin fuck." He smiled slightly at his stupid little word play and then groaned again, arching his hips up slightly. Cuddy watched all of this with extreme fascination. She was kind of getting turned on, not at the thought of being with Leila but the thought that him thinking this was so damn arousing. "Before you can physically remove her, she grabs you and pulls you into a hungry, dominant kiss. She says that orgasms can help relieve stress and you are due for quite a few. You try to cry out for help but it's muffled with another kiss. She pushes everything off of your desk with her arm and throws you down onto it, stomach first before slapping your ass roughly. You cry out and try to squirm away but she pins you in place. Next thing you know, you are being gagged with her panties." He breathed, he let out an even louder groan at that.  
  
She really didn't know why he automatically assumed Leila would be the dominant. Then again it was his fantasy it was just something he wanted to happen not something that ever actually would. She was loving his reaction to this, it was kind of hot to get a small picture of his fantasy life. She moved his hand away from his cock gently and started to stroke it for him. He let out an incomprehensible jumble of words that sounded like a moan, but his eyes didn't open.  
  
"Finding that you actually enjoy this treatment, you start to submit to her. She pushes your skirt up and slaps your ass a few more times. Your cries are muffled by her panties. She grabs some scissors and cuts yours off. While she's down on her knees behind you she nuzzles her face into your pet pussy. You cry out in pleasure at this, she's really good. You want to beg her for more because she's just teasing at that point. You don't dare take the panties out of your mouth though, because of me, you know better...." He groaned. Her hand sped up, copying what he was doing. She found it interesting that in this fantasy they were still together though it seemed she was a bit more trained as a submissive in it. He spoke like he had some sort of plan for her, and at that point she didn't know if he was just becoming completely unfiltered because of how aroused she was, but she wanted him to keep going.   
  
"You moan loudly and squirm. She slaps your ass again and tells you to calm the fuck down before going to put her mouth on your clit. Then you--" He was cut off as he orgasmed rather hard, thrusting up into her hand and letting out a strangled cry of passion. When he finally began to relax, he opened his eyes slowly and looked at her.  
  
"Then I what?" she asked almost breathlessly. She started to lick the cum off of her hand, she wanted to hear the rest of this so she didn't dare move to get a tissue. She actually liked the taste of his cum anyway, the hell if he was going to know that about her just yet.  
  
"Oh uh...then you orgasm and she pulls away. She pats you on the ass and tells you that you will report to her office for treatment once a day until she says you are better." He panted softly. She smiled at him. She was so turned on at that point and it really had nothing to do with Leila. She liked that just sexual thoughts of her could get him off. She could take or leave the part about being with another woman, but this moment had been really nice.  
  
"I'm still with you in that fantasy? And it doesn't bother you that she came in and just well...dominated me?" She asked as she licked at her hand.  
  
"No because she's a woman and that's hot. Did you hear about Wilson being in any part of that fantasy?" He laughed. She smiled at him and moved in to kiss him.  
  
"Alright I guess you have a point, and you do love your lesbian porn." She pulled back and got to her feet, "I'm going to make us some breakfast okay?" He rolled over onto his side and looked at her, it was one of the most loving gazes she had ever seen.  
  
"You aren't mad or disgusted by any of that?" He asked.  
  
"It was fantasy. Besides your reaction to it was so hot I really don't think I could be mad. As for disgusted, not like any of it is going to happen so what do I care?" She shrugged. He reached out and grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving for the moment.  
  
"I really do love you, and I'm glad all of this happened even if it had to happen in the most fucked up way possible." He told her. She laughed a bit.  
  
"Yeah, but considering our entire lives it's kind of fitting don't you think? But now I want to eat and then we can go see the new house okay? I'm excited for that." She watched as he moved in to kiss her hand gently and then let her go.  
  
"Sounds like a plan." He told her. She smiled at him and then left the room with a bounce in her step. Maybe his place being blown up wasn't the worst thing that could happen after all. Little did she know it could get far worse.

* * *

After a nice breakfast they two of them were about to leave to go check out this cabin House owned. Cuddy was taking forever and he didn't know why, she was doing her make up and it wasn't like they were going to meet someone, they were going to be in the house, completely alone. Her make up didn't need to be done to a flawless level.  
  
"I'm just going to warm up the car then." House called to her thinking that maybe the thought of him waiting in the car would hurry her the hell up. He grabbed the keys and headed out the front door. Almost immediately he felt his cane squish into something that wasn't close to the consistency of wet grass or mud. He felt his stomach church a bit and he looked down. There was a dead cat there. A fancy, egyptian one, House knew this wasn't an accident just by that. It was someone who must have known about the ring. "Oh God..." He breathed.  
He looked back into the house, Cuddy hadn't come out of her room yet. He got down and grabbed the cat by it's tail and hurried out to the street. Some of it's entrails had started to fall out, that thing had been eviscerated and not by another animal. He tossed it into the gutter to make it look like it had just been hit by a car and then started to try to clean his cane off in the wet grass. Who the fuck was doing this and why? Did they mean for Cuddy to find that? She wasn't going to know about it if he had anything to say on the matter.  
  
"House I'm..." Cuddy came out of the door, "What the hell are you doing?" She asked him. She came closer to him, he looked pale and overly nauseated. Something had happened, "House?" She asked softly.  
  
"We need to go back inside, now." he said seriously and grabbed her arm.  
  
"Why? What's going on? What happened?" She asked, utterly confused. She was so concerned about him she completely missed the cat laying in the street where he had tossed it. He ignored her and pulled her back into the house, slamming the door behind him. He pulled her close, he was shaking a bit. "House, what's going on here?"  
  
"I don't actually know but...I need to call Leila." He said.  
  
"WHY!?" She yelled, he still didn't answer as he pulled away from her to get his phone. "House this isn't funny! If you know something you NEED to tell me." He looked at her and then down at his phone, he hadn't intended to take it with him to the house because if Wilson or Leila did call he didn't want to hear over and over again about how sorry they were that his apartment had exploded. He stopped himself from dialing, if he informed Leila about this she would spill her guts about what had happened at the store and he needed to say it first so Cuddy didn't feel betrayed.  
  
"Leila paid for your ring. It was going to just be a loan--"  
  
"Wha--"  
  
"LET ME FINISH!" He yelled at her, "A small loan, and then...I...what happened at the club was me paying her back but you see the small loan turned into a HUGE one when the guy I was getting the ring from put a gun to her head and basically made her sign over five million dollars under threat of death. That's why I agreed to do what I did last night, and me agreeing to do saved my life. She called the debt off with her weird 'I'm sure whoever he was in debt to has been repaid' statement, which you either missed or didn't assume she meant her. Then, as far as I can figure but she didn't outright say it, she called Mark and he must have gone to get the money back. If he didn't kill the man that robbed it from her, it's him doing all this!" House explained. He really hated the completely devastated look on Cuddy's face but she'd get over it he was sure.  
  
"All of what though? The explosion obviously but what just happened out there?" She asked softly. "House I...I mean I am angry that you did something kind of irrational and could have gotten Leila killed but there's nothing I can do about that right now and your life seems to be in a lot of danger so I can put all that aside to make sure you are okay. Just...tell me what happened. Please." She came over to him and put a hand on his arm gently. As much as she was pissed it was eclipsed by her fear that someone wanted to kill him over five million dollars that he didn't have. Maybe if she could just talk to Leila and get her to give the money back the guy would stop, she could afford it, right?  
  
"There was a cat...a dead one...on your door step. It had been sliced open. I moved it before you could see it, it might have been meant for you to find. I   
don't know." he said, "Either way, Leila has money and that talks maybe she can hire us protection. Even if she can't she has that meat head Mark who will bend over backwards to help her and he's an ex-cop...we'll be okay if we call her." He said. He was less worried about his life and more about hers. He was thinking the cat symbolized her death more so than his. Only because the cat had been a beautiful exotic one and egyptian if the guy wanted to convey his death he was sure it would have been a pig or a dog or something. He had no idea that she was far more afraid that this was about his death.  
  
"What's going on here? Did you really piss off that guy that bad? It would seem if Mark went after him to get Leila's money back the guy would be pissed at her or Mark for that matter." Cuddy said. House shrugged, he had no idea what to think at that point. J.B was a little fucked in the head from the moonshine so really who knew how his brain interpreted this.  
  
"Look she should be aware of this regardless. There's nothing to say he won't go after her too when he's done with me, whatever done consists of here." He said and dialed the phone.

* * *

Leila woke up to the phone ringing loudly. Wilson wasn't in bed with her but she did smell food cooking and fresh coffee, which made her smile. She rolled over and grabbed the phone from the night stand. It was House's ringtone so she knew it was him. Since he'd never once called her for anything other than the ring she wasn't even sure why she had a custom ring tone for him but she thought the song "Who's Crying Now" fit him, not that she was sure she could ever explain why. She wasn't even sure he liked Journey. It was more that it described him and Cuddy.  
  
"House?" She asked softly and sat up more, holding the sheet to her chest to keep modesty as if he was actually there and could see her tits, she had no idea why she did that. It kind of felt wrong to be talking to him alone in her bedroom while Wilson cooked breakfast.  
  
"There's a problem here. I found a dead cat on Cuddy's doorstep. What exactly did you tell Mark when you told him what happened?" He asked slowly. Leila frowned a bit as her heart sank. She got out of bed and went to grab some clean clothes. She figured she was about to end up driving to Cuddy's place anyway.  
  
"I told him that as a favor to a friend I went to go pick up an engagement ring. I told him I went by myself, kind of knew it was stupid and should have just passed but decided to risk it. Then I told him I was held a gun point and extorted. Trust me, I left your name out of it. He doesn't like you and to hear that it was you would make him angry. Well, more angry." Leila said. The guy always did have very bad anger management issues. She was sure the only reason he was kept on the force was because he was so damn good at what he did, and the drug ring he ended up bring down had been a huge one. Big enough they had to fake his death to make sure he could testify. Clearly he was doing some awesome work for the department despite the fact that he was was too possessive and easily got pissed off.  
  
He wasn't abusive to her, far from it, nor did he automatically not trust her or any of her male friends. He was all cool with all of them. The moment anyone endangered her life, though, even in the smallest way, he had always lost his shit and made sure they knew that it was NOT cool. That was what she meant by anger management issues. Over the years she had come to realize this and it was ultimately what made her decide to move on, even if she hadn't found someone until Wilson.  
  
"House? you still there?" She asked after a really long pause. She really hoped he wasn't having one of his epiphany moments.  
  
"What if he found out I was involved though?" He finally spoke.  
  
"How?" Leila asked, too flustered to even think of how that could be possible, though it was.  
  
"I don't know, what if he went to confront JB and then out of desperation the guy said my name? I mean he was a contact of mine I'd never call him a   
friend though. Especially not after this." House said. Leila headed out into the kitchen, Wilson had made pancakes, eggs and coffee and was just setting it on the table. She smiled at him, though it was a forced smile. House had a point.  
  
"Fuck..." Leila breathed, "Well I'll call Mark and..."  
  
"Call Mark and what? Ask him? because you ask him any of this he'll be able to ferret out that I was a part of it and he might be a meat head but he also   
is smart somehow." House said to her. She sighed. She wished that she was as good at predicting human behavior as him, she was a damn psychiatrist and he had her beat on this one.  
  
"Well what exactly do you want me to do here House?" She asked.  
  
"I want to move in with you, Cuddy too." He outright demanded.  
  
"WHAT?" Leila shouted and in the background she could hear Cuddy shout the same thing which would have normally made her chuckle but right now she was kind of scared. "How the hell is that going to help anything?"  
  
"For one he's not going to blow YOUR place up if it is him, for two if I'm where you live then if he does come there it might slow him down a bit." He insisted.  
  
"Yeah but, there's really nothing saying that this was him in the first place...you are jumping to a lot of conclusions. You don't want me to talk to him, you are guessing at an event that may or may not have happened. This could all just be in both of our heads." She tried to reassure him even though she wasn't exactly sure herself.  
  
"Just for a few days, I know how rich you are, you place must have plenty of extra space and until we figure it out for sure I don't need to make Cuddy a target. At least if she's with you she's safe." House said. "Just offer me some peace of mind here, Leila. If it turns out I'm completely wrong and nothing weird happens within, lets say, 3 days, we can go to the actual police. Cuddy already knows the situation anyway." He said. She sighed and looked at Wilson who had sat down at the table.  
  
"What's going on?" He asked softly.  
  
"House thinks he and Cuddy need to move in here for a few days. I can hear Cuddy in the background protesting this." She said softly, pressing the mute button on the phone so House couldn't hear her, "I guess he found a dead cat outside of her house this morning and now he's freaking out and thinking someone has a hit on him or Cuddy I'm not sure which he thinks at this point and says if he's here then at least he knows that no one is going to blow up this place. If after three days nothing seems to happen we can go to the actual police. Before you say anything else there is a whole back story to this I'll have to tell you when I get off the phone. You spend a lot of time here so this is up to you as well." She said. He frowned a bit.  
As much as he didn't want House to get killed he thought this was a horrible idea. They spent the majority of the time at her place anyway because she had her dog to take care of. He didn't mind because it was a penthouse suite that took up the entire floor of a large condo, but at the same time he didn't know how good of an idea it would be to have them come and stay, especially if House was on some sort of paranoid rant about how someone was trying to kill him or Cuddy.  
  
"Are you sure he's not back on vicodin? Or worse?"  
  
"Trust me, he's not." Leila said.  
  
"Fine. Three days. Show him he's being an idiot." Wilson told her. She smiled slightly and took the phone off mute, which was good because House had started yelling at her to pay attention and calling her a bimbo.  
  
"Three days House! And you are paying for your food." She said, "I'll see you in a bit I guess." then she hung up. She wasn't so sure House wasn't right. She wasn't so sure that this was a good idea. She wasn't sure of a lot of things. For now, though she was going to sit down and have a quiet moment with Wilson. While she could still get one.


	18. Chapter 18

It had seriously only been 3 hours and Leila was about to scream at House. He had already pissed on the toilet seat, in her bathroom, she didn't even know how that had happened, drank from the milk carton, and finished her imported chocolates claiming he didn't know they were different from regular ones. Cuddy was trying to get her to calm down but it wasn't working that well.

"You can stay here, he's going. I don't care. I'll call Mark to be his bodyguard or something at a hotel AND I'LL PAY FOR IT!" She yelled.

"Paying for hotels now? And bodyguards? Well I want someone besides Mark if that's the case." House told her, looking smug and sitting on her couch. She moved to slap him but Cuddy grabbed her hand.

"Okay Leila, I know he can be annoying but it's just three days and I'll make sure he doesn't do anything wrong from here on out." Cuddy said, "I gave you the day off. How about you take it and, do something nice for yourself okay?" Cuddy asked her softly. Leila just continued to glare at House. She had no idea there was someone this annoying. He was staying at her place and he had already marked it like it was his own territory. She was going to lose her mind if she had to do this for the rest of the day plus two more.

"I am so serious, if he does anything else...he's out and I'm calling Mark." Leila said. She turned to storm off, her plan was to find some sort of spa that had an opening and just get a full day of treatment there because House was being the most obnoxious son of a bitch she had ever seen in her damn life. Cuddy sighed loudly once Leila was out of the room and rested her head on House's shoulder gently.

"House, you need to realize that she doesn't even want to do this. If anything she's doing it way more for me than you. Stop fucking up. You are a guest here, you aren't an owner. Ask before you do something, use the manners I know you think are stupid." She told him, "If you do that, I'll sleep with your dick in my mouth every night we are here." Until she offered that she was sure he wasn't listening to her but she knew if she threw that in as part of the deal he would shape up rather quickly.

"Okay, deal." he laughed and pulled her into a gentle kiss.

"Remind me to use that in the future when I need you to do something." She told him and patted his hand. Leila came back out with her long hair piled up into a messy bun. She had a bag over her shoulder, after giving them both a glance she left the loft without another word. She didn't exactly look very happy about any of this but she also knew she couldn't say a damn thing about it because she cared far too much for Cuddy's safety to start complaining about letting them do this for just a few days until things calmed down.

Around four that day there was a knock on the door to the loft. Cuddy knew that Wilson was at work and the last text she had gotten from Leila said that she was about to head into her full body Swedish massage so she really had no idea who it could be. Thinking that it wasn't going to be someone for her, she tried to ignore it. The knocking just got more persistent. After what had happened that morning, with the dead cat, she didn't think answering the door would be the best idea but she also wanted the person to go away. They probably knew someone was in there if they weren't already gone. House was asleep on the couch, she had just given him an awesome blow job and he was lights out to the world. Waking him up wasn't even an option.

"Um...who is it?" she called when she was close enough to the door.

"Mark, Leila wanted me to come and check on you two. Talk to you about the incident this morning, maybe get some more insight into who could be doing it." A deep voice called back. She had never actually seen Mark in person. She did see the picture that House had been circulating a little bit ago, but she didn't see him when he had come into the hospital on some sort of mission to bash House's face in. At least that's what she decided would have happened according to the hole he punched in the wall. He was a cop though, right? Or he at least used to be one. She figured of all people he'd be the safest to let in.

"Oh, okay." She said and opened the door slowly. He already had his ID up to show her. She looked at it and then at him, The way he was standing, with his ID already out like that, there was no doubt in her mind he was a cop at some point even though it wasn't an official police ID. "Hi, I'm Lisa Cuddy." She said and stepped back more so he could come in. He did and then looked around, Cuddy now felt weird. Had he even been back in the loft since Leila and him had broken up? Hell, she didn't even know if Leila had this loft when she knew him before. Now it was just awkward and she wasn't exactly sure what to say to him.

"Can you tell me what happened this morning?" He asked her.

"Well, no offense but how can you help? You aren't exactly a cop any more." She said and headed into the kitchen. She wanted to get a drink so she could wash the taste of cum out of her mouth. She wasn't exactly at the point where she actually enjoyed the flavor of it yet, but it was far from where she started which was absolutely hating it.

"No, I'm not a cop any more. However, I do have friends on the force, and since I'm not a cop I don't exactly have to follow their rules but I do have all the training of one. In that way, I'm the better option." He told her and then leaned against the counter. He had a point, she at least had to admit that, but he also seemed to have way too many anger issues and she certainly didn't want to be pulled into some sort of weird lawsuit if he ended up killing someone on her behalf. He seemed like such a liability, no wonder he wasn't called back to the force now that he was safe.

"I didn't exactly see much, I just know that House told me there was a dead cat on my doorstep. He was freaked out enough I doubt he was lying but he never let me see the body so I just took his word for it." She said, wanting to be as vague as possible. She really hadn't seen the cat, but she wasn't about to tell Mark the whole story about her engagement ring and what Leila had to do with it. She assumed he already knew that anyway, she felt like he might get upset if she admitted to knowing the story as well. She then realized she was wearing the ring, House had convinced her to put it on because he insisted that him and Leila hadn't gone through all that they had for her to keep it in a damn box, and jammed her hand into her pocket. This guy wasn't exactly making her feel safe. There was some odd vibe about him that she didn't like.

"You're wearing the ring. It's kind of hard to miss, even before you went to put your hand in your pocket." He told her. She frowned a bit, she guessed nothing got past this guy, but he was two clicks away from being a total nut bag. Did Leila even see that? Was he less harmful years ago when she knew him? Had he gotten worse? If he had, she had been kind of lucky that the police had chosen to fake his death and get her away from him because had he stayed there was no telling where she would be now. Definitely not with an amazing guy like Wilson.

"Yeah House proposed to me the other night." She said, "Look is this going anywhere? I really can't tell you anything else and House is completely zonked out he won't be useful even if I do wake him. Maybe you should come back another time, like when Leila is here." She said, trying to use an intimidating voice, which was useless considering this guy was about 6 foot three and 200 something pounds. He could throw her around like a rag doll if he wanted, no matter how intimidating she sounded it would be useless.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so crass as to wear the ring someone almost got shot to get you." He told her. Cuddy looked at him oddly, so he did know. That comment though, that sounded angry and angry at her. Why would he be upset with her? What exactly had she done that would cause any anger from him? House maybe, well not even maybe, House had put Leila's life in danger, not her. There was no reason for him to be upset with her. Yet this just sealed into her brain that he was a sociopath and she had to get away from him.

"Your problem isn't with me, or Leila, or House, it's with the guy that who held Leila at gun point. How about you go take it up with him?" She asked. Her eyes shifted from place to place in the kitchen where she now stood. She had to get to a phone and...and what exactly? He still had friends on the force, and he was a cop, a rather decorated one for the case he had closed. Besides, the moment he saw she was going to do something to go against him he could be on her like white on rice. This wasn't a good position to be in.

"Who says I haven't already taken it up with him?" Mark asked.

"You killed the cat...didn't you?" She asked softly.

"Don't be stupid. I wouldn't hurt anyone, would I? That would be a big mistake, Lisa." he said slowly but in such a way that she knew it had been him. She felt her body start to shake, and it wasn't stopping, it would become visible in a second. Her phone was on the counter, she just had to get to it and get help, that was all. He was equally as far from it as she was, one quick movement and she could have it in her hands. Not surprisingly, they both went for it at the same time, but his movement was much more calculated and he got it before her. "Why are you so scared? I'm here to help you, and House." She felt her lower lip tremble, the tone of his voice, the look in his eyes, he wasn't there to do shit. Not knowing what else to do she ran to House. He was still asleep and snoring on the couch.

"HOUSE!" She yelled, sounding far more scare than she meant to, though that might work in her favor at that point. "House PLEASE!" She shook him. He snorted a moment and then swatted at her a bit, she wasn't exactly sure what she expected him to do but there was a huge chance he'd be way smarter and far more calm about this situation than she was ever going to be. People didn't like him, and they did scary shit a lot, he'd think of a way to talk Mark down from this. His eyes opened and then made contact with hers slowly.

When he saw the fear in her eyes he was awake completely within the next two seconds. He looked around, trying to narrow down what might be freaking her out when he saw Mark. That giant mother fucker was going to kill all of them and he knew it. He swallowed hard and fought back the urge to wet himself as he stood up and grabbed his cane. He had to at least try to look like he wasn't scared shitless or any sort of double talking he did to get out of this would never work. He cleared his throat loudly.

"Okay you had your fun, leave." He said, his voice far more intimidating than Cuddy's could ever be. Still, compared to Mark, House was a sapling going up against a refrigerator on legs. Cuddy was quickly losing hope for getting out of this situation unscathed or at all.

"How about your cripple ass makes me leave?" He asked, getting right in House's face. Had he not run into Mark before, seen the guy snap his cane like a toothpick and then bust a hole in the wall the size of his own skull, House might have been less fearful. At that point, though, he was very aware of the kind of power Mark had in his body, and all that stuff seemed completely effortless. There was no doubt in his mind that Mark could pick him up and snap his spine over his knee just like that cane. He was actually afraid now, more so for Cuddy than for himself. He already knew he'd die for her, he'd already said that to himself many times and quite a few times to Wilson in drunken rants. He wasn't going to let her die even if he had to.

"There's no need for that kind of language." Cuddy said softly.

"Cuddy, he's kind of huge, I'm pretty sure I'd rather have him say mean things than do them." House said not so softly. "Mark, Leila's going to be back soon or at least calling. There is nothing stopping her boyfriend from coming back from work either, one way or the other someone is going to interrupt this." He tried to remind him. He was hoping that Leila would make some sort of surprise entrance only because Mark seemed to want to severely restrain himself in front of her as if he had some chance in hell in getting her back.

"Leila..." He said as if he hadn't thought of that.

"That's right, Leila." House replied, "So I think you should leave, that way I don't have to-"

"Have to what? What exactly are you going to do? Or tell her? You think she'll believe any of it? That I'm the bad guy here?" He asked. Cuddy felt her stomach turn, she was anticipating that something bad was about to happen and she was right. In seconds flat she was pulled against him and he had a gun to her throat. She looked at House with wide eyes, too afraid to move or even say much of anything. She really had no idea what the hell was going on, why he'd want to hurt her of all people, but this was just not fair.

"HEY!" House said, he instinctively took a step towards her.

"Don't...even...think about it." Mark said, jamming the gun into Cuddy's throat even tighter. She whimpered softly, she certainly didn't want to die but there was really no telling what the hell was going on in his head at that point. It occurred to her to start begging for her life, of course, but at the same time she was too scared to speak. It didn't seem like anything they said was something he was liking and she didn't want to risk saying the one trigger word or phrase that would end her life. "How does it feel?" He asked.

"How does what feel?" House asked him, he had no clue what this was meant to accomplish either.

"Seeing a gun in the face of the woman you love, knowing that you have absolutely no power to stop me from blowing her fucking head off right here." Mark growled, pulling her in even tightly to him. She squeaked out, his grip around her was like a vice. She could feel the raw power he'd have even without the gun. She was pretty sure he could snap every last bone in her body with a quick hand movement, just a hand, the other could be tied behind his back while he did it.

"Not good, obviously but...you didn't see it happen to Leila." House tried to reason with him.

"No, I didn't. I did, however, hear her sobbing when she called me. Saw her face when she described the event. You put her life in danger, you could have ended it. Your reckless actions could have destroyed her." Mark said seriously. Cuddy didn't like where any of this was headed, and she tried to get away. Though any attempt she made was halted by him, he was easily keeping her in place, and no matter how hard she thought she was wiggling, he still seemed to expend absolutely no effort keeping her still. This was pointless. House was either going to have to find a way to talk him out of it, or Leila was going to have to come home and put an end to it.

"Could have, yes. I didn't though, she ended up being fine." He said slowly.

"Thanks to the fact that she actually had the money to back what the guy was asking for. You brought her there, you got her in a bad situation, for all I know you set her up and have half the money right now." He accused.

"If that was even close to being true don't you think I'd be half way to Aruba with her right now?" House asked with an almost incredulous laugh.

"SHUT UP!" Mark yelled, which caused Cuddy to start to sob. She'd never had a gun this close to her face in her life and she never wanted it to happen again, and hopefully because she was still alive and not dead on the floor. "You don't get it do you? You don't have a damn thing to worry about...you have your woman so you are just reckless. You put others in danger to make sure your life turns out the way you want it to. Don't think I don't know about you." He said and holstered the gun, shoving Cuddy back towards House. He caught her as she stumbled and she clung to him tightly, starting to sob, shaking with the fear of what could have possibly been her own death.

"Whatever you plan on doing you aren't going to get away with it you know." House said, "We are just going to report you." House said.

"You do that, and watch it all start to unravel. Your life is about to become a living hell either way, but if you both want to survive this, I suggest you not breathe a word to anyone." He said seriously. He tossed Cuddy's phone to the ground and was out of there faster than either of them could blink. Well, faster than House could, at that point Cuddy had her face buried into his chest. House really had no idea what the hell Mark meant by any of what he just said, but it might be a better idea not to tempt fate on this one. He'd really just have to see how it went. It sounded like his life was about to become a living hell. He wasn't sure how it could get much worse, everything he knew had already been blown up in a fire. He still had Cuddy but he also just got a glimpse of how easily that could be taken away from him. For the moment he just stood there and let her cry and cling to him. There were only so many options he had at that point, but the most important one was to make sure Cuddy was safe, no matter what the cost.

  



	19. Chapter 19

When Cuddy woke up, House wasn't in the room with her. She groaned a bit, she wasn't even sure when she fell asleep or if she might have just fainted instead. What she was sure of, was that she was now completely alone in this bedroom. Why had he left her? Rightfully he should have stayed with her until she woke up to make sure she was completely fine. As she sat up to call for him she found a piece of paper left on her stomach which she quickly grabbed. In House's handwriting all it said was, "Don't tell anyone." then "love House" with a really lame heart drawn under it. She could practically see him rolling his eyes as he drew that. That made her smile, for about a second then she realized this must mean he left.

"House?" She called tentatively. There was no answer, "HOUSE!" She yelled again, still nothing. She didn't see his cane in the room, nor were there any sounds in the loft other than her own voice. What kind of stupid thing had he done now? Really? He left? Did he think that was a smart move? Especially when Mark could come right back here and off her or rape her or both, she really didn't know what that psycho wanted at that point. She scrambled to her feet and went to check the living room. He wasn't there, as she felt the panic start to creep in the front door opened. She turned swiftly, when it was Leila and not House she started to cry a bit.

"Uh...Lisa?" Leila asked and rushed in there quickly. Her day at the spa meant nothing at that point. She'd never seen the woman look so upset, even with House going into detox and punching her in the face and the suicide attempt Cuddy had never looked more upset. "What's going on? Honey?" She came towards her and pulled her into a hug. Cuddy wasn't sure if she was supposed tell on Mark. Would it be better to let House go do whatever he thought he was going to do to fix this? Or would it be better to tell Leila about Mark, because she would be the one to stop him. Even at the mere mention of her name Mark paused to reflect on what he was doing. She didn't want to send Leila out there though, that man was really fucking insane. At that point, it was almost settled in her mind that House was dead and there would be no finding him.

"House is...he...we got in a fight. A bad one." Cuddy lied, "He left I thought maybe he came back." she said and started to sob into Leila's chest. It was weird because the woman's breasts were some how soft and comforting, better than a flat chest of a man. She didn't know if she ever wanted to be pressed close to a guy again, unless it was House, but there was a good chance he wasn't coming back. That thought made her cry even harder. Leila stroked her hair softly. She didn't exactly believe that's what had happened but she really had absolutely nothing else to go on here. House was a loose canon and there wasn't really any reason for her to doubt that House had blown a gasket and stormed out.

"Well he loves you, he's going to come back. I mean he tried to kill himself because he thought it would cause you less pain. He's angry, he'll get drunk and come back and apologize." She told her, "No different from any other time right?"

"I...I guess." Cuddy sniffled and then became more aware of where her head was and moved it back a bit, she was suddenly worried about how Wilson would react if he came in, it was almost time for him to get back and she just assumed he'd be like House and get a rise out of seeing her face pressed into Leila's cleavage no matter what the reason. "Do you mind if...if I just go for a walk or something?" She asked softly.

"Aren't you worried about, well, whoever is doing this to you two?" Leila asked her softly.

"Not that much any more. If he's gone, the trouble will go with him." She shrugged, "Whoever is doing this is clearly pissed at him, not me, what do I have to worry about?" She looked up at Leila. She didn't like the look she was getting either. Leila was looking at her like she thought she was lying but Cuddy didn't want to tell her the whole story. In fact she wouldn't until she was in as much shit as House was going to be, that was if she got there in time and he wasn't already dead. Besides, if Mark's goal was to kill House, would that even be enough? Would he come back to get her? Wilson? Leila? She had to make sure this stopped without anyone else getting hurt and she wasn't going to offer up Leila as some sort of human shield because she was sure Mark wouldn't hurt her.

"Okay then, take a walk if you think it'll make you feel better. Be careful though. Okay?" She asked, "I'm going to be here when you get back." Cuddy nodded and then went to grab her jacket. They had her car keys still in them, which meant House hadn't taken the car. That meant wherever the hell he thought he was going, he hadn't gotten far. Unless he had gotten on a bus already. Or hailed a cab, there were so many variables she had no idea how the hell she was ever going to find him. A man who had recently detoxed from narcotics, a long narcotic habit, hell he could have gone out to score more drugs. She wasn't sure where to even start looking but she knew she had to.

House met Mark in the strip club that he was told to meet him in. He saw Mark in the back booth getting a lap dance from a stripper he was familiar with. Her name was Sugar and he opening line was always "you only need a little Sugar to sweeten your night". He was pretty sure she was also a whore on her off hours but he'd never used her. She was a nice snack but too blond and too stupid for a good fuck. He at least wanted to be able to have a conversation with the girl. He hadn't been to that place for a long time but he also recognized the bartender who was on duty. He sat down at the booth and Mark glanced at him before looking back to Sugar. They were in the middle of the song "cherry pie" and House motioned for the bartender to get him his usual. He figured the lap dance had started at the beginning of the song and he had a bit more time to compose himself before offering up the deal he had.

He was there to save Cuddy. He wanted to offer Mark anything that he wanted to ensure that nothing would ever happen to her. She would never be harmed or frightened to the level she had been that night. He had no idea what Mark wanted as payment for that, but when he found the guy's phone number on Leila's computer and texted him the offer, the guy didn't seem to want to turn him down. He was immediately told to meet at the strip club. That's when he had left Cuddy. He was glad this was going to be done face to face as well, because he knew that he wasn't about to make a deal with the devil without looking into his eyes.

By the time House had paid for his drink and given the bartender a twenty, telling her to keep the change, the song was done and Sugar was being dismissed by Mark. He wasn't sure why a guy who wore a wedding ring would be all about strip clubs and completely head over heels in love for an ex girlfriend when she clearly wasn't interested any more, but really who was he to be giving any type of relationship advice?

"What do I have to do to ensure you will never come within 5 miles of Cuddy again?" He asked. He was prepared to do a lot, and he knew whatever it was, it wasn't going to be fun for him. Then again, it wasn't like things ever were fun for him. He was prepared for quite a bit of horror to make sure he never saw that look in Cuddy's again. The look of pure fear that she was going to die and this was the end.

"I only have two things I want. You can't know about the second one until you complete the first." Mark said to him and then reached for a pack of cigarettes on the table. He lit one and took a long drag. House did the same, he hadn't had a cigarette since the day he had left that jail cell but at this point he couldn't see why it mattered. The first pull burned his throat but the scotch he was drinking made it fare more bearable. If that was the worst pain he felt that night he'd be lucky.

"Oh of course, it's just that simple huh?" He asked. Really? Did Mark think he was going to agree to two things, one that he wasn't going to even know about until the first one was done? He wasn't even close to drunk yet. This guy was going to have to try a lot harder to trap him.

"The second thing isn't illegal or harming anyone. I just can't trust you to do it until I do the first thing." Mark said with a shrug, "You have until I finish this cigarette to at least make me think you are going to agree to any of this or I walk and your living hell continues." He said and took another drag. House was tentative to take this deal but he also wanted to know nothing was going to happen to Cuddy.

"What's the first thing?" House asked, then took a slow drag from his cigarette and flicked the ashes into the ashtray.

"I want to break you." Mark replied.

"And that doesn't involve killing me?" House asked, rolling his eyes. He felt if he rolled them any harder they might pop out of his skull.

"No you dumb ass. Breaking you is far different from killing you." He sighed, "If you are going to be an asshole about this I-"

"Why do you want to break me? What do you think that will accomplish?" House cut him off. He knew this guy wasn't going to be jerked around at this point and the longer he kept him talking the safe Cuddy was going to be. He needed to make sure that there was some understanding that they came to before he left. He would not let her life be put in danger again, no matter what the price.

"Guys like you, they think the world owes them something. They think they are the king of the castle. You need to be put in your place, shown that you aren't the best. If you are broken you won't hurt anyone again. If you are broken you'll stop trying to break people, if you are broken I'll at least know that a woman's life will never be put in danger again because of some stupid shit you did to further your own agenda. It's peace of mind for me." He told House.

"What peace of mind do I get? I don't want to leave this 'breaking' session a mutilated mess that Cuddy isn't going to want to touch anyway. If you couldn't tell I'm not the handsomest bastard right now. Not going to let you mutilate me." He said. Mark laughed a bit and finished his drink before motioning for another. At least House had him stalled for the moment, if he wanted another drink he had more time to deal with him, that was a good sign. Though at that point, House was 99% sure he was about to take the deal anyway, he just wasn't sure he was ready to face any kind of pain that would break him yet.

"I'll do it without leaving a mark on you. A physical one anyway." He said and paid for his drink, tipping the girl who brought it.

"Fine. However, how do I know you aren't going to change your mind with what you want me to do next once I am broken? And what if I can't break?" He asked slowly. He sucked on his cigarette again, he was about half way done with it, and already contemplating taking another one. He was going to get the small pleasures he could before entering into this really risky bargain. Mark reached into his jacket and set a sealed envelope on the table, he then sat back in his chair again.

"What I want you to do, is written on a paper in that envelope. It won't change, but to prove it to you, you can hold onto that as long as you don't open it until I say it's okay." Mark told him. House looked at the envelope and back up to Mark.

"How do I know this isn't a plot to lure me out of here and kill me? How do I know there's anything of substance in that envelope?" House asked and picked it up. He could feel there was paper in it but that didn't mean something like 'ha ha you stupid asshole' wasn't written on that paper, if anything was written on that paper to begin with.

"Look, you've gone through a lot of pain in your life, physical and emotional. What I want to do to you isn't any worse than that. Besides with that paper, you have an out. If you go through at least one hour of what I intend to put you through and tell me to stop, that you'll do what's in there, I'll stop. It's your cheat, your free pass. Broken or not, after one hour if you agree to do what's written in there I'll stop. I can't kill you, for one, you aren't fucking worth that risk to me and for two I need you to do what's in there. It's kind of a balance here that we need to work out. I want revenge and I want a favor. I don't just want the favor, so don't try to just offer me what ever is written in there. I need both. You do all of this, you will survive, and you will see Cuddy again. I will leave, your life will be better. We both know you are only in this for your pleasure, why are you so hesitant?" He asked.

"I have no reason to trust that any of this is the truth." House told him. "That's why."

"Well, no, you don't have any reason to trust me. Maybe this is all a lie, maybe I do want to kill you. Even if that's the case, at least you can die knowing that Cuddy will never be harmed by me again. You'll die for a reason. I'm not lying when I tell you I need you and only you to do the second thing. I don't think it'll work with anyone else. It might but you are my best bet. Do we have a deal or do I continue to fuck with you until you go insane? From what I can tell you don't have a long way to go." House looked at Mark. There was something about the way the guy was talking that he knew this wasn't some odd plot to kill him. He didn't know why but he was pretty sure if Mark actually wanted him dead he would have actually been dead. This all seemed like a very elaborate plot to get the task in the envelope done. He wasn't sure why he was the only one who could do it. He didn't even trust that it wouldn't involve hurting someone. Nor did he think whatever was in that envelope was legal, and even if it was, someone was going to get screwed over by it, probably mostly him. Though if it meant keeping Cuddy safe he was going to fucking do it.

"Where do you want to do this? I took a cab here so I guess you are driving." House told him and stood up. This was quite possibly the dumbest thing he had ever agreed to do because he already knew that there was no way he was ever going to benefit from it. However, Cuddy would be okay, and for once he wasn't being selfish because the man he was looking at now was pure evil. To even chance that she could be hurt in another explosion or something that was aimed at him was too much. He'd do whatever the fuck Mark wanted for an hour, open the envelope and get it the fuck over with. "Wait...what if I go an hour but won't agree to what you want me to do next?" He paused. Maybe Mark didn't have an answer for that and he could stall longer.

"Then we go another hour, I'll ask you again. We'll keep going in hour increments until you agree or you are too broken by the pain to disagree." Mark said, "I've thought out ever variable you aren't going to trick me out of this." he stood up and pulled his jacket on. House's stomach knotted. The man may have been evil as shit but he was in no way ignorant. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Lets get it started then." He said. He had never felt more trepidation in his life, not with any other contract he had ever entered into. Maybe it was because he was sober, and maybe it was because he knew whatever was in that envelope would damn him more than any pain Mark wanted to put him through. The only thing he could think about in that moment was Cuddy and making sure she was always going to be safe


	20. Chapter 20

House got in Mark's car, though the whole time his brain was screaming that it was probably the dumbest move he could make. So far so good though, the guy hadn't taken him out the parking lot to shoot him and he very well could have as during that time of day the parking lot was empty. It was a little bit before night shift would switch to day and so basically no one was there. House was even surprised that Sugar was working. She was usually night shift, girls made a lot more money on night shift. Guys came in and got drunk and forgot how much they were slipping into the g-string.

"Where are we going?" House asked him.

"Somewhere that we won't be disturbed. You are going to scream a lot. I don't need the cops called." Mark replied with a stone cold and factual demeanor. This caused House to shudder. Not that he didn't think he'd be screaming just the way Mark already knew this was rather unsettling. House was telling himself not to give Mark the satisfaction of him screaming but if the guy was going to hurt him without ever leaving a scratch on his skin, there were limited ways to do that. House was pretty sure he already knew the option Mark would go for.

"Wonderful." House said and rolled his eyes. He had to keep in mind that if he did this Cuddy would be safe and he'd never have to worry again. His leg hurt basically all the time, and that never broke him. If anything this pain should make him stronger. He knew he had a higher tolerance for it than most. The problem was, everyone had their breaking point and if this was going to be a slow and controlled torture, House would come to his eventually, whether it took and hour or a few days. He didn't have a few days to spend with this guy. It all really came down to what was in the envelope and how bad the torture was. He really hoped the first time he looked in there when Mark allowed him it would be a simple choice to make but nothing simple was ever simple. There would be some sort of extra consequence to him.

They drove for about 45 minutes out of town and arrived at some isolated cabin in the woods. House would have thought it looked nice had he not known he was about to go through some massive pain in there. Mark had pulled up the almost mile long driveway to get to it. The chances of House running to escape him, or running at all had been completely dashed. He was fucked now, and there was no way Mark was about to let him go back on his choice to do this. He got out of the car before Mark could even tell him they arrived. Maybe if he kept some sort of calm demeanor about this he'd get less satisfaction about what he was going to do in a moment. That was wishful thinking. He was pretty sure that sadist would get pleasure out of causing anyone unwanted pain no matter how the hell they were reacting to it.

Once they stepped inside, House turned to make a quip about how the place looked like a decent front for a torture cabin, how no one would ever suspect that Mark took helpless victims there, when the guy struck him in the face and knocked him down. He cried out in surprise, and anger, hadn't Mark promised not to leave a bruise or a scar? Then he realized the hit came from an open hand and had been dialed down a few notches. There'd be a red mark on his face for maybe an hour but it would go away. Dirty bastard.

"Well played you asshole." House said as he rubbed as his face. Not that it took much for him to get knocked over. For one there was the element of surprise and for two his bad leg didn't help him stabilize quickly after a blow like that so Mark was always going to have the upper hand.

"We are going to the basement, dick." He said and then stomped through the cabin towards and unassuming looking door.

"Basement. It's always the basement." He muttered. After getting to his feet, with absolutely no help from Mark he walked to where the guy was standing. The door opened. Though nothing about the stairs or what he could see looking down into the torture area looked outright creepy, it just was. A chill ran through him and he gave Mark a look. The guy still had ample chance to kill him, what House had to focus on at that point was continuing not to give him a reason. With a quick nod he headed down there first. What the hell was he even doing?

Leila was almost positive that Cuddy was lying to her about what had happened. Obviously House had left and this had upset Cuddy but she knew the motives for the guy leaving had nothing to do with them getting in a fight. Of course Cuddy was scared but not in a sense that House was never coming back and the relationship was over. She was more scared for his life scared and unless the fight had been that bad, which Leila highly doubted it got to that point, there was no reason she should have been scared. In fact, with the way the two of them fought, there should have been more anger and annoyance behind it. There was absolutely none of that. Cuddy was also not the type of person not to want to talk about the fight, and she really hadn't said anything about it. Nothing in detail. Leila didn't like this at all.

She headed into the guest room. Maybe there was something in there that would tell her what had happened. She hated to be the kind of person to snoop, but it was her house and it wasn't like she was snooping if she owned the place. It wasn't like she intended to go into any drawers or suitcases either. There was little chance she'd find any extra information in a place like that anyway. She was just hoping for something obvious to kind of smack her in the face by looking around. Out of the corner of her eye, on the floor, she saw a lavender splotch. When she turned she recognized it as a piece of stationary from her collection. Knowing that was out of place there, because she only kept the stationary in her office, she went to grab it.

"LEILA?" Wilson called. She sighed, he must have just gotten back from work. She snatched up the paper and took in a deep breath. Much like Cuddy didn't want to drag her into drama, she didn't want to drag Wilson into drama so she had to hide the small amount of anxiety in her voice.

"Hey!" she yelled, "I'm here! I'll be out in a moment." She looked down at the paper. All it said was "Don't tell anyone, love House" with a really lame heart drawn there. She also got the feeling that House hadn't wanted to draw the heart but had done it for the benefit of Cuddy. That was kind of a change in his personality. She folded up the letter and put it in her back pocket. She wasn't exactly sure what the hell that meant but it only confirmed to her something else was going on that had nothing to do with a fight. Whatever the hell House had gotten himself into, Cuddy was about to try to insert herself right in the middle of it. She didn't really want to stop it, because she didn't really want to be the one to bail House out of another mess. Cuddy was her friend though, and she cared a lot about her. Looked like a quiet evening at home wasn't going to be an option any more.

"Why are you in here?" Wilson asked from the doorway, causing her to turn and look at him.

"Because something happened and Cuddy lied to me about it." Leila said, "All I know as facts is House left at some point and when I got home she was upset and scared and looking around for him. She thought I was him when I came in the door. She told me that they had a bad fight and he had stormed out. After replaying the events in my head I'm sure now that it can't possibly be true and I was stupid enough to let her leave." She headed over towards Wilson who looked kind of dumbfounded over this information. Then he shook his head slightly.

"It's House though, and she gets kind of nutso when he does something that upsets her I'm sure that-"

"I just found a note that said 'don't tell anyone' on it with his name and a badly drawn heart. If House thought he was coming back he wouldn't have tried to lame up the note like that." She replied and pulled the paper out of her back pocket and shoved it into his hands. "I have no idea where Cuddy went, or House for that matter, but she had her car keys in her jacket and she took her jacket. I'm going to get my phone to call her." She pushed past Wilson to grab her cell. Hopefully she could talk Cuddy into coming back and then maybe calling the police or something.

Cuddy immediately thought House went to that one strip club that he always went to. It was the name of some woman, Lucy's or Lizzie's or some shit. She had picked him up outside of there, once, never would do it again. However, she did hear him mention it a lot and she figured that would be one of the first places that he'd go. She had no idea why he would go there, but maybe he just wanted to get drunk and see tits that weren't hers. That would normally make her blood boil but considering what they had just went through as long as he wasn't trying to buy drugs to get stoned again she could put up with alcohol and the tits of strangers.

She parked her car in the lot and then got out. As she entered the club she got her wallet out to pay the cover charge which was posted on the door but the bouncer waved her past, telling her that women were always free to come in and look around. He then winked at her as if he thought maybe she was going to audition or something. She rolled her eyes and pushed the black door which was blocking the main floor, open, and entered.

There was maybe two men in there, both of them getting lap dances, and neither of them were House. Even in the dark she could tell this because one of them was a black guy and the other was far too fat to be anywhere near House's body type. Her first instinct was to turn and storm out, but what if he had been there? What if he was in a VIP room? Not that they'd really tell her if he was because she was sure they dealt with angry wives all the time, but she was prepared to start bribing people to find him. She knew he was getting himself into deep shit and she didn't care about breaking rules. She headed over to the bar, and she was in luck because it was the same bartender that had been there when he was there. She had hit the club right before the shift change and the girl was doing her side work so she could leave.

"Hey this may be a shot in the dark but did a man come in here? Maybe he's in a VIP room. Tall, skinny, rather mean, walks with a cane and a limp." Cuddy asked, having to speak loudly to be heard over the bad classic rock that was playing for the strippers to dance to.

"You mean House?" She replied before looking up to see Cuddy's face, "Oh that was...I shouldn't have known his name right?" Cuddy knew why the woman said that, she figured that Cuddy was about to get pissed because her boyfriend's name was known at a strip club.

"I don't care that you know it's him. Was he here?" she asked getting hopeful.

"Yeah about thirty minutes ago, he left with some guy I've never seen before." The bartender replied, "If it helps it doesn't look like it was some gay rendezvous, in fact it looked like they both really fucking hated each other." Cuddy furrowed her brow. There was a good chance he had left with Mark, there was also and equally good chance it was some other guy who had been angry with him. Lost of people were angry at House, and if House had done something very stupid like found a hit man to take Mark out (which she didn't put past him) there was a chance it hadn't been him. In fact she hoped House had found an angry wannabe hit man and not Mark. The idea that House willingly walked, well limped, out of that place with the man that just had a gun to her head made her want to vomit.

"Did you see what the guy looked like? I mean any more than the fact that you know you've never seen him before?" Cuddy asked. She was hoping for the exact opposite description of Mark, she knew logically that wasn't what she was going to get.

"Uh yeah, tall, dark, really handsome, about the size of a truck." The girl shrugged and then her eyes went to a girl who was passing by them. That description sounded like Mark, there was still a small chance it hadn't been though. "Sugar! That guy that was in here with House, you were talking to him for a bit. Did you get his name?"

The big breasted blond came over to them. Her top was off, Cuddy recognized her as the girl who had just been dancing for the black guy in the corner. She was a bit out of breath and her body was coated in sweat. Cuddy looked at her desperately, hoping to God the girl had been coherent enough to get a name the this mystery man in question hadn't lied about it.

"Yeah his name was Mark. Big spender. Never met him before. Gave me a lot of money." She smiled, "Why?"

"She wants to know, she was looking for House." The bartender said motioning to Cuddy who suddenly felt like she was going to faint. It was kind of stupid for Mark to give his real name, but on the same token it wasn't some odd name either. There were probably plenty of guys named Mark running around New Jersey it was kind of a douche bag name. Luckily he had been a 'big spender' or else this Sugar girl probably would have never remembered what it was.

"Thank you." She said and held out the twenty to the bartender that she was going to use to pay the cover, "Split that with her, I don't have change." she said and then quickly headed out of there. She wasn't sure why she had just tipped them for that but it felt like the right thing to do. They both probably heavily relied on tips and the place looked dead empty, she felt kind of bad, and it was just twenty dollars. Once she was out of the club she bolted to her car, she was going to have to call Leila to get her to call Mark. From there it wouldn't at all be that hard to find House.

Only ten minutes into the 'breaking' process, House had regretted his choice to do it. Mark hadn't lied, what he was doing wasn't going to leave a physical mark but it was going to screw him up psychologically for quite a bit. He had been hooked up to electrodes, and at random intervals that Mark was controlling he was getting a heavy electric shock. It was almost strong enough to knock him out yet Mark would stop before that happened, just long enough to let House recover so he could do it again and he wouldn't pass out. Mark even knew how to wire him so that the current wouldn't cross his heart and endanger him. He knew a fuck load about torturing a person with electricity which only meant he had done it a lot before now.

"How long do you think this will take? Huh? To fuck you up? You are already fucking miserable and you got like forty more minutes to go at this point. I think you'll give up after an hour." Mark laughed. He was watching House closely, monitoring him to make sure he wasn't weak, getting ready to strike again with another shock. House was very very sure he wouldn't be getting to take a break from this by passing out. At least not any time soon.

"I'm always fucking miserable." House panted. He was still mostly dressed, it was just his shirt that had been removed to attach the wires. He still had his pants on as well as his shoes. At least Mark had allowed him that small amount of dignity. He wasn't sure he wanted the guy to see the scar on his leg. Not that he was sure why that idea was making him feel so self conscious, but it was and the longer he could avoid that, the better. "This is no worse than a bondage session with a dominatrix, and I've done that a lot." He lied badly only to get met with another shock, causing him to scream out in horrible pain until it ended.

"Right." Mark rolled his eyes. He felt his phone start to vibrate in his pants and scrambled to get it out. The number was Leila's and he smiled. "I have to take this, don't go anywhere." He said and hurried up the stairs, House had been strapped to the chair he knew he wasn't going anywhere. Not that if he tried at that point he could make it more than a few steps without collapsing, he had already been shocked ten times, there was no energy in his body.

"Good one. Tell Leila I said hi." House muttered as he tried to get his breath back. He only knew it must be Leila because of the way Mark's eyes lit up when he saw the phone. Mark didn't answer but he did run up the stairs and House heard the door shut at the top. He was utterly alone down there and he was 100% positive that all the screaming alone wouldn't reach Leila's ears. There was no way Mark wasn't smart enough to soundproof the basement. He was going to have to take this until he could see what was in that damn envelope. At that point he was sure he'd do what it said and right away. Electrotorture was one of the worst things a person could go through for a long period of time.

Leila was waiting for Mark to answer the phone, Cuddy had come back after calling her to tell her that House had gone somewhere with him. She looked over at Lisa who was sitting on the couch next to Wilson who had an arm around her. Leila had told her that she was going to play dumb with Mark the whole time on the phone and that Cuddy had to keep calm and not start yelling. If they gave away that they knew Mark had left to go somewhere with House it would not keep them ahead in this game. Of course Cuddy had wanted to call the cops but Leila had urged her against it and had given her several very good reasons why, the least of which being that no one on the force would fucking believe her, the most of which was that Mark could plant evidence on House to get him arrested so damn fast it wouldn't be worth dragging the other cops into it. Leila also knew she was a weak spot for Mark so it would just be better if she did this.

"Mark? Hey...how are you doing?" She asked in a normal voice. Cuddy had explained to her already that the man had been there and held her at gun point while he made vague threats about turning both their lives into a living hell. She wasn't in the dark about anything any more, and what was worse was she couldn't say she was very surprised that Mark had kind of gone off the deep end. Mostly because she had seen it coming even years ago when she saw him first working on the mafia case. After he had come back to the hospital and completely overreacted to what House had done, she knew he was a few french fries short of a happy meal at that time. She looked at Cuddy and nodded a few times.

Cuddy really wished she could hear the other end of this conversation, at the same time she was glad she couldn't. Whatever lies that bastard was feeding Leila she knew would either just creep her out or enrage her, or both, and she'd never be able to hold it together. She leaned into Wilson more, wishing House wasn't so damn stupid that he thought this was the only option. They could have just waited for Leila to come home and gotten her to call him and talk some sense into him.

"Oh, so you did come over here to talk to them?" She heard Leila say, "Did you get any insight onto who may be doing this?"

"Of course he did because he's the one fucking doing it." Cuddy whispered loudly almost standing up, but Wilson gently stopped her.

"Shh, this is going to get fixed let her talk to him." Wilson said softly. Cuddy looked at him and then back to Leila. It was so hard to sit back and let other people take care of this, but if Mark had been pissed enough to put a gun to her head, clearly she wasn't going to be the one to talk any sense into him.

"I know these things take time. Yeah...um would you want to meet somewhere to brief me?" She asked him slowly.

"Leila!" Wilson snapped in a loud whisper. Obviously he didn't think that was a good idea either but Leila just waved her hand at him angrily. She knew if she showed any mistrust for Mark right now he was going to pick up on the fact that she knew something. She had to act exactly as she'd been acting before. Very trusting and very unaware of the world around her. Mark had always underestimated her intelligence anyway, as he had done with the majority of people in his life. It usually got him into trouble. His ego was huge and very easily stroked.

"Yeah I can meet you at Starbucks in two hours. The one in Jefferson? Why so far?" She asked. "Oh...okay I understand. I guess I'll see you then. Thank you for your help, Mark. I don't know what I'd do without you. Yeah I know. Okay. Bye." she said and then hung up the phone.

"What did the bastard say?" Cuddy demanded immediately after she knew the phone had been hung up.

"He told me that he was keeping an eye on one of the suspects to this and that the investigation was going as well as expected." She rolled her eyes, "Apparently he wants to meet me out in Jefferson because that's where he tracked the guy to."

"Well you aren't going." Wilson said trying to lay down the law, and rather badly at that because there was absolutely no conviction in his voice both Cuddy and Leila could hear that.

"I have to go for one, for two I won't be unarmed so just calm down." She told him.

"Unarmed? What in the hell..."

"I have a gun. Not that I know much beyond how to handle it safely, load it, and unload it but it was given to me along with his original badge when they told me he was dead. Besides when he was with me her was very insistent I at least be kind of educated with guns because he had a lot of them and he didn't want me to accidently shoot myself. He was convinced I was stupid enough to handle one to a point where I'd pull the trigger." She walked over to the picture that covered the wall safe. Wilson knew about the wall safe, he didn't know there was a gun hidden in there. Though that would explain what was in the locked box he was always questioning her about. He knew the code to the thing too. It held emergency cash and a few pieces of jewelry. Whenever he had asked about the box she had told him it held important personal items. She was probably right not to tell him that her ex boyfriend's gun was in there because he would have made her get rid of it.

"Leila I am not going to send you to some Starbucks in Jefferson with a gun that you've probably never shot." Wilson told her.

"I've shot it a few times, just not for like 7 years." She told him, "God does it even matter at this point? Do you want House back or do you want Mark to kill him?" Leila snapped.

"DON'T TALK LIKE THAT!" Cuddy yelled at her, "Mark wouldn't be stupid enough to-"

"Yeah, he fucking would. He shot some homeless guy without provocation to save a rookie officer. They gave him an award but really that guy wasn't a threat to a point where he couldn't have just been pulled away. You need to trust me on this. Mark isn't going to hurt me anyway he has such a boner for me I could probably just give the gun to one of you and have you follow us." She said.

"I'm not handling a gun." Cuddy said, putting her hands up, "Having one in my face was as close as I ever want one."

"Don't give it to me either. I'll just shoot him." Wilson said.

"Yeah, okay James, you'll suddenly become a badass because someone handed you a gun." She rolled her eyes and opened the box in there with the code, "The code to that box was the same as the safe this whole time, it's interesting to me that you never even tried to get into it."

"You said it was personal, I don't dig in shit that isn't mine." Wilson told her. Leila smiled slightly, he really was loyal to a fault. "And you are getting rid of it the moment this is over."

"I have no reason to keep it around after this, so it's a deal." She told him.

"Where was Sawyer during all of this anyway?" Wilson asked her. Leila looked at him as she attached the holster to the inside of her pants and then slipped the sig into it as well and pulled her shirt over it.

"Fuck...he went to the groomers today. He was picked up this morning, that's right, I was supposed to pick him up like an hour ago. Whatever I've done this before they'll just keep him overnight." She sighed and then went to grab her jacket. She pulled it on, she didn't need to leave for a bit she just wanted to make sure that it covered the lump that the gun was creating before she left, or find another jacket that would.

"Don't you think he would have been a HUGE help with Mark showed up?" Cuddy asked her.

"He may be big but Irish Wolf Hounds are notoriously bad at actually doing anything to fend off attackers. Mark wasn't scared of dogs and he also knows this so the worst he would have done was licked Mark's hand to death trying to get pet." Leila sighed. "If the size of the dog alone doesn't scare the person off then the dog isn't going to hurt him, at least not his breed. They are too docile."

"I have personal experience with this." Wilson laughed a bit, with as many times as he had literally tackled Leila and pinned her in order to fuck her, he knew Sawyer really wasn't all that concerned with anything going on around him that may have been presented as a violent act towards anyone.

"We should just call the cops." Cuddy said.

"If you want House to end up going to jail instead of Mark. You go right ahead and do that." Leila said, "I don't like this any more than you, trust me on that. We need to get Mark to do something horrible where there is a far more credible witness to it, or several, before we can actually get anything to happen to him." She said. "It's going to be fine. I'll get him to some how give away where House is, and if he was dead...he's just not dead. Mark would find him too worthless to risk actually killing."

"Then how do you explain Mark blowing up his apartment? House would have been-"

"How do you know he wasn't very aware House wasn't there when he did it? The fire department said it was arson, they also said it started as a gas leak in the kitchen which meant Mark was in there at some point to do it. He would have known House had left." She said, "He's doing this for a reason and I have no idea what the reason is, but he needs House to be alive." She assured them, not adding the words 'until a certain point' because she was sure as soon as House could be disposed of he probably would be disposed of, in one way or the other.

"Leila this is the dumbest thing I will ever let you attempt to do." Wilson said, "And I am going and I am going to have 911 already punched into my phone and ready to call the moment I see anything bad happening, or even sense it." She came over to him and kissed him on the lips gently.

"I know." She said softly, "Hopefully it won't even get to that point. Maybe we can figure out something before that, maybe House will call before we even have to meet him. We don't know. There's nothing saying that House is still with him because he left with him. Yes there's a high probability of it but it's not 100%." She said. It was a horrible lie, because why would House leave with Mark and stay away if he wasn't in some sort of trouble but it seemed to calm them down enough and that was all she really needed.

"It's been an hour. You ready to do what's in that envelope?" Mark asked him. House was barely coherent at that point. His head was rested to one side and a bit of drool was trickling out of his mouth. His throat had been damaged from screaming in pain and he had lost count of how many times he had been shocked. About a half hour into it, Mark had given him a muscle relaxer to keep this going and to make sure even less damage would come to House's body. House knew that it couldn't keep going like this forever, and yet he was sure Mark had many MANY other ways he could hurt him without leaving an exterior sign of damage. He didn't want to know what might come after the electrotorture so he just nodded his head stupidly. He wasn't broken yet, he at least knew that, he was just very tired of going through the pain of this. He was also sure it had been far over an hour but when the body was in pain the ability to measure time got really screwed up.

"Fine." He breathed. "Tell me what's in it." He panted, looking up at Mark. It's not like he could move to his jacket to get the envelope he had tucked inside, or even that he had enough energy to open it himself. Mark was going to have to do it. He watched as the man who was now just a large blur went to his jacket and got the instructions. He came back over to House and ripped it open before taking out the paper that was in there and putting it in his lap. House's head rolled to look down at the paper. There wasn't much written there but his eyes wouldn't focus enough for him to be able to read it.

"There." Mark said.

"I can't...see it." House breathed, "Give me a second." He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, then repeated. He kept doing this until the letters started to take shape and make more sense. The first one he was able to make out was Leila. That's when he started to feel sick. In fact he didn't even read the rest of it before he turned his head away.

"Not going to do it?"

"I don't even know what the fuck it said, just that it has something to do with Leila and I am not doing anything to her." House said, "You are going to have to do MUCH worse to me to get me to even consider it." He breathed. Mark nodded and snatched up the paper.

"Alright but remember you told me to do it." He said angrily. He grabbed House by the hair and yanked his head back to he was forced to make some sort of eye contact with him, "All I need you to do, is call her, tell her you relapsed on pills and you need her help, ONLY her help, that she can't tell Cuddy...not yet because it'll hurt her too much...you need to get her here by herself. Understood?" House didn't know where he found the energy but he managed to spit in Mark's face.

"No deal!" He snapped and was met with another blow to the face. Opened handed again, it wouldn't leave a mark. House laughed a bit, "I'm pretty sure at this point Cuddy didn't keep her mouth shut and she knows you are a part of this."

"This is why you will lie. You will do the one thing you do best to help me. I have a nice little story all chosen out for you to convince her that I am nowhere near you." He growled as he wiped the saliva off of his face disgustedly. "I need her here."

"WHY?" House yelled.

"That's nothing you need to know about." Mark told him, "But looks like we are in for another hour of torture. The problem is, I don't exactly have time for this so I'm going to jump right to the bonus round." He pulled a knife from his back pocket and carefully sliced open the side of House's pants which concealed his mangled leg. House started to shake, his eyes going wide when he saw what Mark was doing.

"You said you wouldn't maim me!" House yelled at him.

"I'm still going to keep that promise." He said and pulled two of the electrodes from House's arm and put one on each end of the scar on his thigh.

"Oh God don't...please don't..." he begged, in fact he was so weak and the thought of this new pain scared him so much he ended up leaning over as much as the restraints would allow and vomiting on the concrete floor. Mark laughed a bit.

"Are you going to do it now?" he asked. House groaned. He knew luring Leila out there because Mark wanted something from her, something bad enough he wasn't saying, just to stop this from happening was something he couldn't do just yet. His brain was telling him to stop being such a martyr and agree but he didn't think he had been through enough pain yet to justify betraying her. It was a stupid way to be thinking but he wasn't ready to give in just yet.

"Go to hell." House breathed, and then braced himself, this was really going to fucking hurt.

About an hour after the point where Mark had decided to start shocking House's leg, Leila, Wilson, and Cuddy left to get out to Jefferson so they could meet Mark. Wilson and Cuddy were in her car, Leila was in her own and completely alone. It would take about thirty minutes to get there and Leila had instructed them to stay well behind her so it wasn't obvious she was being followed. Cuddy had a GPS in her car anyway so it wasn't like she'd never find the place. After repeatedly checking with them to make sure the gun wasn't obvious under the jacket she was wearing she had left with them. It was incredibly stupid to be doing this but she had to do it. She hated how House behaved but she didn't hate House. She didn't believe he was beyond a point where he could change and if Cuddy saw something in him he wasn't a lost cause. There was no way she was going to give up on this just yet. She really hoped at that point it wasn't going to prove to be a huge mistake.

"NO! FUCK! DON'T DO IT AGAIN! I'LL CALL HER! I'LL SAY WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT!" House yelled, and he was surprised he could even yell and be understood at that point. He had passed out twice before Mark had given him an epi pen to ensure that wouldn't happen again. Of course the adrenaline just made the pain worse and didn't give him the benefit of passing out and that's when he had cracked. "Please just stop...what do you need me to tell her, please...don't...don't do that again...please."

"I'm impressed...you just took a lot of pain for her. I don't know if I could have even taken that amount of pain for that long." Mark smiled, "You must really like her."

"I do but I like Wilson more and I know whatever you are going to do to Leila is not going to be good for him." House panted. "Give me the fucking phone and tell me what to say to her. I can't do this any more." Mark smiled and got his phone for him. House groaned softly, Leila would get a call from his number, not Mark's. She'd be far more likely to answer it and far quicker if that were the case. He fucking hated Mark for this but he wasn't going to take one more ounce of pain, especially when his leg was visibly swollen.

"I still think we should be calling the cops at this point. Maybe even the FBI. Mark can't possibly have friends everywhere." Cuddy said as she drove, keeping herself quite a few spots behind Leila. She had her eye on the paw print bumper magnet that said 'who rescued who' but in the fading light it was hard to keep track of. Why were they all so afraid of Mark? The police were there to help them not hurt. They were bound to be able to find one that didn't know who he was, right?

"As much as I hate doing this her way, I'd say we need to trust her on this." Wilson said softly, "Remember she dated him for quite a bit, she'd have far better insight into what he's capable of and how the police operate than we ever would. Also we have the Tritter incident to recall. You really think either of us have that much respect for the cops after him? Hell Mark could be his best friend and we don't need that."

"Fuck. This is so incredibly stupid, us playing vigilantes while we try to hunt down wherever Mark took-" Cuddy paused when she saw Leila make a violent turn which was completely unplanned and speed off down a side road. "The hell is she doing?!" Cuddy yelled.

"I don't know! FOLLOW HER!" Wilson yelled, he really didn't like this. They hadn't even gotten a call or text from her. She had sped off in such a way it was clear she was trying to lose them. Even more clear when Wilson realized that she had cut off quite a few cars to do it and now to turn safely the two of them were going to have to wait for traffic to pass.

"I WOULD had she not lost her mind and turned when she did!" Cuddy yelled, "FUCK! I don't even know where we are! She's way too far ahead! We aren't going to find her after this, especially not in the dark! Call her!" Cuddy told him and then took the turn that she could take, pulling into the parking lot of a Walgreens. Wilson got out his phone and called her number. It started to ring. There was no answer.

"She's not picking up."

"Why!?" Cuddy demanded.

"You know your guess is as good as mine Lisa!" Wilson yelled at her angrily. He tried calling again. It rang seven times and then went to voicemail. "FUCK!" He yelled.

"Give me that!" Cuddy yelled at him and snatched the phone. She tried dialing the number but that time it just went straight to voicemail, Leila must have turned her phone off, "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! WHERE DID SHE GO!?"

"I have no idea...be we are calling the cops now." Wilson said.

"You changed your tune very quick."

"I don't care...something is wrong and I'm done taking chances." Wilson said as he dialed 911. They probably should have done this from the start but if his main complaint was a slightly twisted lie about a woman who went missing, then Mark's name would never come up. He was going to play a dangerous game, one that may cost Leila her life. Cuddy's lower lip trembled and she started to cry softly. She wasn't going to lose the man she loved and one of her friends all in one day. She could only pray to God that the next move they made wouldn't be the wrong one.

  



	21. Chapter 21

Leila rushed into the cabin that she had been given the address to by House. He had said that he had confirmed what Cuddy had said, about Mark coming over to threaten them. He said that he went to confront Mark and met him at the strip club and Mark had told him they needed to leave to discuss things as he didn't want to be overheard. He told her that he didn't like the terms of the deal, and had gone to a drug dealer near by. He had gotten pills and a bottle of vodka and came out to the cabin which his uncle owned and had a complete relapse. He begged he not to tell Cuddy about this, that he was sorry, that he knew Leila could help him but he was too humiliated to admit what he had done to Cuddy so she had to come alone. Of course everything that happened after he left the club with Mark was a complete lie, there was no way for Leila to know that.

House had done his part, he had been in so much pain and so distraught that by the time he got on the phone with her she really had no choice but to believe it. The electrodes had remained attached to his leg the entire time he had been talking to her, just so Mark could ensure that he wouldn't say something stupid. He hadn't planned on it for one second. Immediately after the phone was hung up, House was injected again, he didn't know what he was given but it made him so incredibly incoherent he couldn't even form a congruent thought in his brain. There was not going to be a way to warn Leila when she came in. He was frustrated but he knew what was going to happen without being told. He could see Mark standing by the doorway to the dark room. He was going to grab her when she appeared and he couldn't do a damn thing. Even if he didn't have an injured leg, that guy was so much more powerful than him, running after them wouldn't even be an option as, what would he do if he caught him?

"House?" He heard Leila's voice as the door swung open, spilling light into the room.

"Hmaprr." Was the noise he managed to make, he tried to motion to Mark but there was no motor control, no signals from his brain to his arm to do it. Leila started to rush in there, of course, it was her nature and the moment she had cleared the doorway Mark grabbed her and put her in a choke hold. He cut her air off so she couldn't scream and started to smell her hair gently. House hadn't seen anyone look that scared ever, he was pretty sure the look on her face even topped Cuddy's just hours ago.

"Thanks House." Mark laughed and ran his hand over Leila's body. He found the gun she was concealing and tossed it to the floor. "You're not going back with him, you know that right?" He said in her ear. She was struggling with all her might, there was no getting out of this, and House just watched helplessly, he couldn't even tell her that he would stop at nothing to help her, find her, and make sure Mark paid. All he could do was sit there, motionless, and watch her terror rise as he applied a slow choke until she went limp.

"Mffhuker." House muttered.

"Don't worry, you aren't going to die. What I gave you was close to an opioid overdose but not enough to kill you. You are going to be really sick in a few hours but an ambulance will show. Don't try to find us." Mark said. He threw Leila over his shoulder like a rag doll and walked out of there. House was scared, tired, but mostly enraged. He wasn't going to give up easily, it wouldn't be that hard to find Mark and Leila was smart, very smart, she'd do what she could to survive this. He fell completely to the floor, he hoped Mark wasn't lying about help coming soon because he was starting to black out.

When he woke up it was because someone was trying to shine a light in his eyes. His mouth felt like it was full of cotton. He swung his hand at whoever was trying to take his vitals and pushed it away. Things started to come into focus and then spin. He was kind of aware of someone tilting him as he started to vomit. He was in an ambulance, so he guessed Mark hadn't lied. There was no one in there with him that he knew, though. Not that any of them would want to be anywhere near him after the found out what he had just done. He should have just let himself die or get so completely insane from the torture he wouldn't have been helpful to Mark. He was weak, he was horrible, he deserved any sort of hate that came at him after this.

"Unidentified white male, mid fifties, drug overdose, ETA 5." He heard a paramedic say into the radio, "Vitals currently stable but may not hold." House was put on his back again and his eyes got a glimpse of the readings on the monitors. Maybe this would be it, maybe he'd stroke out or go into a coma, maybe he wouldn't have to deal with any of this shit come morning, well, next time he woke up. He tried to say his name, it just wasn't happening. Of course Mark would have taken any sort of ID from him to make this hard on everyone. If Cuddy or Wilson were looking for him at that point, it would be helpful if the hospital he was going to knew his name. Now it could be hours before he could tell anyone anything, he didn't know. The darkness was coming back and once again he just couldn't fight it off. He let it happen.

"For the last time I don't KNOW where she went she just LEFT!" Wilson yelled at the cop who had showed up in the parking lot of the Walgreens to help them. Cuddy had already talked to the second cop, explaining everything that had happened. Neither of them seemed to believe the story, even though both of them left Mark's name out of it. They were just saying that it was Leila's ex boyfriend. They had both agreed not to use his name and feign ignorance as to what it was, just that he was crazy and dangerous. They were in a small town in Jersey, though, and those cops were as slow as mud. There was a huge chance this would be more of a dead end than trying to find Leila's car themselves. They'd have a better chance driving up and down every street in Jefferson looking than staying here and talking to these assholes.

"What did he want with her?" The cop asked Wilson.

"What do ex boyfriends usually want?" Wilson snapped, "I don't know! Could you please just do something? I want to file a missing person's report." He said seriously.

"Can't do that until she's gone for 24 hours." The cop replied calmly, as if he was telling Wilson what time of day it was.

"WELL SHE'S GOING TO BE GONE FOR AT LEAST THAT LONG HOW ABOUT A PREEMPTIVE REPORT YOU AS-"

"James..." Cuddy said and put her hand on his arm gently, "Deep breath okay? They are trying to help." She looked at him. If he got pissed at the cops they were just going to get annoyed and possibly even arrest him for being disorderly. She was already thinking they should get rid of the idiots as fast as they could and start patrolling the streets on their own.

"They aren't trying hard enough." Wilson muttered, "This is House...all of it is House you know." He said.

"Yeah well getting pissed off at everyone who isn't House won't help us." Cuddy told him.

"We have her car description, her description, and her license plate. We'll put out a bulletin for it. Until she's gone for 24 hours, she can't be considered a missing person." The cop said. Wilson glared at him and just got back into the car, folding his arms over his chest. This was just great, now they didn't know where Leila OR House was and both of them held the key to fixing this. Wherever House was, he knew something that could help. That was assuming that he wasn't also with Mark, or dead. He would be dead though, if something happened to Leila, he already knew that House was a dead man. He wasn't going to let House ruin his life to this extent. He watched Cuddy finish up with the cops and then saw them drive off before she got back into the car and started it.

"Where are we going?" Wilson asked.

"We should start looking for Leila's car. There's a chance we might find it." She said softly.

"What chance? Have you lost your mind?" Wilson asked, "We need to find House."

"How? What if House is wherever Leila went? You think Mark is just going to give him a phone?" Cuddy asked, "If you want we could just both go get really trashed and HOPE news comes or we could feel like maybe we are doing something in way of helping them." She put the car in gear and started to drive out of the parking lot. The way she saw it, they didn't have much more of a choice in this matter, and sitting around waiting for those hick cops to do anything didn't sit right with her.

"This is hopeless." Wilson muttered.

"It's the only hope we have." Cuddy told him as the car picked up speed. She didn't think they would find anything either but it was distracting her from the reality of the situation.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed but he was now in the ICU. His thoughts were back together and when he tried to speak he found he could actually form words. Immediately he rolled over and pressed the call button. When there wasn't an instant answer he did it again, and again, he wasn't going to be ignored when it was this damn important. He really had no idea what hospital he was in either, just that there was a giant crucifix on the wall across from the bed. Jesus hanging there, staring at him, mocking him. Fuck that guy. Just more proof there wasn't an actual God. God would have let him die and kept Wilson happy by not endangering Leila. This was all so shitty. One of the nurses came in, taking their sweet time.

"My name is Greg House, as in Doctor Greg House. You need to call Lisa Cuddy as in dean of Princeton Plains-borough Hospital right the fuck now, also you need to get the police in here. Understood?" He told him seriously. The guy looked at him like he was nuts.

"Look sir, you came here on a drug overdose and-"

"Look at my fucking leg!" House yelled at him, even with everything he wasn't blind to the fact that his leg was swollen to the side of a watermelon, "I didn't fucking do that to myself you jack ass! This was assault. GET THE PEOPLE I NEED!" The nurse stared at him for a moment before rushing out of there. With any luck he was going to do what House had commanded and not his attending to get him a sedative. He didn't need a fucking sedative, he needed to talk to someone who already knew what was happening and how serious all of this was.

"We've been driving for an hour. What if Mark took her car? Then we'd never find it." Wilson said. Cuddy turned her head slowly and glared at him, all the guy could do was keep offering up rather implausible scenarios on why they were never going to find Leila. He wasn't doing anything but pointing out how damn morbid the situation was. She was about to start screaming at him, having stayed silent this whole time, when her phone started to ring. She didn't recognize the number but she quickly snatched it up and answered it.

"Hello?" she asked slowly.

"Is this Lisa Cuddy?" The soft female voice on the other end asked her.

"Yeah, I'm Lisa Cuddy, what is it?" She asked, pulling the car over to the side of the road. All she knew it the woman spoke with a very doctor like voice, like she was about to inform someone of something bad. The same voice Cuddy herself used when she had to inform someone of something that she knew they weren't going to want to hear.

"We have a Greg House in ICU here at St. Monica's. He keeps demanding to see you." The woman told her.

"If he's awake why is he in...it doesn't matter. St. Monica's you said?" She asked and then peeled away from the curb and started to speed towards the place. It was a small catholic hospital and she'd only ever been there a few times but she knew exactly where it was and they weren't far from it.

"He'll be moved to a normal room before you get here. We didn't know how bad he was." the woman said, "We still don't, he seems kind of..."

"Whatever he's saying he's telling the truth. I'll be there soon." She said and hung up. She honestly never thought she'd speak those words in a sentence without also using the word 'not' but if House was saying things that sounded weird that meant he remembered enough to talk to the police. Maybe they'd finally be taken seriously. He probably even knew where Leila was and what happened to her.

"What? House? Where is he? What happened?"

"I don't know what happened but he's at St. Monica's. We are going there." She told him. "I really hope to God he didn't do anything irrationally stupid..." She muttered. Wilson laughed a bit, an almost disconnected from reality laugh. It caused a small chill to run through her body.

"Maybe we should hope I don't do anything irrationally stupid for once." He said softly. Cuddy didn't think she was supposed to have heard that but it made her stomach do a flip. The man had been put through the wringer and she didn't know how much she could blame him for his reaction. She still didn't want House to get hurt, and she didn't want Wilson to go apeshit before they could find out the entire story. There was a chance he wasn't even going to let the guy talk, just fly off the handle. She'd have to make sure to keep him far back from House until she could assess the situation herself.

"Look, there she is, she'll confirm that none of these people are in my head!" House said, motioning to Cuddy as he saw her hurry past his room, obviously trying to locate him. "CUDDY!" He yelled. The cops who were currently getting fed up with questioning him, turned and saw Cuddy halt and back up to run into the room. She quickly turned and put her hand on Wilson's chest gently.

"Get coffee, you don't need to hear this yet you aren't calm." She told him.

"WHERE'S LEILA!" Wilson demanded, completely ignoring what Cuddy had just said to him.

"WILSON! LEAVE!" Cuddy yelled at him. Whatever Wilson thought he was going to add to this in the state of mind he was currently in, was not going to be helpful. The guy was pissed, his hands clenched tightly into balls of fury. He needed to take a few deep breaths and wait. Wilson growled softly.

"However she gets hurt...I'll be repaying you." Wilson told him seriously and then left. House brought his hands to his eyes and rubbed them roughly. It wasn't that he didn't think he would eventually deserve that, but hadn't he already been through enough? Cuddy looked at the cops and then pushed past them to get over to the bed. The first thing she saw was how badly fucked up his leg was. Not only was it swollen to high hell but it was purple and black in some places. House quickly pulled the blanket over it and took her hand.

"Don't look at that, it's not important. Just confirm you know Leila and I wasn't making it up." He told her. Cuddy felt the tears starting to come, what the hell had happened to him? He looked like death warmed over, hell, he'd be lucky if he could keep his leg with the way it was already looking. She had a choice. She could either start freaking the fuck out about everything and over the chance that House might lose his leg or she could help the police find Leila and put that off until later. She took in a deep breath and calmed herself.

"I do know Leila, my friend and I just filed a report on her with the Jefferson police department. What happened to her House?" She asked him. All she knew was that if he was talking about Leila he must have seen her at some point, which meant he knew what happened. Though she hadn't heard what had happened and he didn't seem to keen o spilling the rest of the information at that point.

"I...uh...her boyfriend took her...ex I mean." House said not looking at Cuddy. "Look all I know is that psycho has her and you need to do something about it!" He yelled. Cuddy looked at him, he had seen Mark take her? But why was he there to see that? How did Leila get to the place where he was with Mark? How in the hell was she lured there when she was supposed to be going to meet for coffee? Where had he been anyway. She knew it was probably a bad idea to start asking all of this shit in front of the police, especially since House had probably already told him all that and they wouldn't need it repeated. She wanted to know on her own terms, though, and she had to hear it before Wilson did.

"There you go, I told you her ex had to do with this." Cuddy told the police, "Now she really has been abducted, he just confirmed he saw her ex boyfriend snatch her. Is that not good enough to start looking?" She asked them. The two officers looked at each other and nodded.

"We'll need a description of the boyfriend." The first guy said, he looked to be the more in charge officer at that point.

"Someone can get you a picture I'm sure." Cuddy muttered.

"I have the picture, but it would be on my computer at work, well at least in the outbox of that email I sent." House said, laying back, "Hell get me any computer now and I can get to the outbox." Cuddy quickly scrambled to get to her phone. She pulled it out of her jacket and handed it to him. He should be able to get to his email through there. He smiled at her slightly and started to type in the information.

"Do any of you know his name?" The second officer asked.

"No...maybe Matt or Mark or something." Cuddy lied easily. She was scared that dropping the guy's actual name would call him out. Even if these officers didn't know him by just his name if they ran some kind of criminal record search for him, all his information would come up. Mark could very easily be lying about the connections he had or that people even still liked him, but he had been a cop there was no doubt about that and cops always had other cop friends and ties in the industry. If he had at least one person in power that would go to bat for him that could seriously hinder the investigation process.

"Here." House said and turned the phone to show them. He had pulled up the picture that he had scanned after stealing it from Leila. Her with Mark looking very happy. "That's Leila Dawson."

"Of the Dawson, Dawsons?" The officer asked.

"Yes, why does that matter? In fact, she's the heir to that company so if you ever want your computers to work right again I suggest you move your ass." House snapped at them. Cuddy rolled her eyes, obviously Leila didn't actually run the company she just held a lot of legal shit that said she owned it. It was clearly run by a board of people that she oversaw at some point or just didn't really care. That company was so established by now she probably barely had to do anything to keep it running smoothly. Cuddy wasn't exactly sure how any of that worked now that Leila's parents were dead, she hadn't thought to ask. It didn't matter though, what House had just said was completely inaccurate.

"Alright." The officer told him and sent the picture to his own phone, "We'll put out an APB for them. Do you have any idea where they were headed?" He asked and then handed Cuddy her phone back.

"No he didn't say he just took her. You really think he was going to tell me where he was going?" House asked them, "I need more drugs." He reached for the button that was controlling his Demerol drip. Cuddy's first thought was to yell at him but she had never seen his leg look that bad, if he ever deserved Demerol it was right then.

"Where did you last see her?" the officer asked.

"At the cabin...wherever the hell the EMTs went to pick me up, that's where he took her from. I can't give you any information other than that right now." He said, trying to get comfortable again. He'd have thought they'd be swarming all over that cabin by now but of course he was wrong, they were cops and if there weren't any donuts in a 5 mile radius they weren't going to be there.

"We'll check it out and keep you updated. That man you sent out, is he the husband?" the guy asked Cuddy, clearly getting overly annoyed with the way House was behaving.

"No but...fiance." She lied, only because that may make them more likely to give Wilson more information and be quicker about it. She only hoped that House would keep his mouth shut about that not being true. Luckily he was so dosed on narcotics at that point he wasn't even paying attention to what Cuddy had just said.

"Alright." The cop nodded, "Don't worry, we are going to find them." Shortly after that he was gone. Cuddy turned to look at House, of course now he was tripping balls on pain killers and she probably wasn't going to get any sort of straight answer out of him. She had to try, though, because she needed to know at least part of it before Wilson got in there so she could tell him herself. House would be overly crass and angry about it and Wilson looked half cocked and ready to go off at any given second.

"House, what happened? Why did Leila come there? What did Mark do to your leg?" She asked him softly. He really did not seem happy to give her any information at that point. He kept his eyes closed and was breathing deeply. She wanted to scream at him, she wanted answers and she wanted them now, but she also knew creaming and getting confrontational with Greg House would mean getting absolutely no answers. She had to take this slowly.

"He tortured me, electric currents. Just through my upper body a bit first. Then he moved just to my thigh when I wouldn't do what he wanted." House spoke right before the point where she was about to lose her mind and scream at him.

"What did he want you to do that you wouldn't?" She asked him not really connecting the dots to the fact that it had to do with getting Leila to the cabin so she could be abducted.

"Why do you think Leila came to see me? He used me as bait. Do we have to discuss this now?" He asked her softly. It was very hard to think when he was as doped up as he was, but even more, he lost his filter when he was this heavily stoned and he may start telling her things he didn't want or need her to know. When her got like this he usually just wanted to be left alone which was what removed his filter. He figured if he just gave the person the information that they sought then they'd go away and let him be stoned in peace.

"We have to discuss this now because Wilson is going to want answers and I don't want them to be from you because he's ready to strangle you. Do you not realize what you just did to him?" Cuddy asked him.

"No Cuddy, I let Mark send a billion volts of electricity through my leg for a little over an hour because I had NO IDEA how this would effect Wilson. Don't be stupid." He muttered. He knew it couldn't have been a billion volts or he would have exploded, however that's what it felt like and he hadn't bothered to ask Mark what awesome setting he was using as torture. It didn't matter anyway, though, it wasn't like Mark would have stopped at any point no matter what the voltage was. He half wanted to open his eyes to look at her, see her reaction to that statement, but he kept them shut.

It was a good choice, too, because she was kind of reeling from that information. He had let himself be tortured like that for an hour because he didn't want to hurt Wilson or Leila? She was kind of amazed. Not that she thought he was selfish to a point where it was insanely mean, or that he wouldn't do something to protect her or anyone he considered a friend, but looking at his leg now and what it must have taken to get it to that state...he did that for an hour? She went to move the blanket to look at his leg again but with surprising agility and speed he stopped her hand.

"I know how bad it is, you don't need to." He muttered. He figured she'd come back and take a look at it when he was completely out but let her. He really didn't want to be aware of how bad her reaction was when she saw it, or that the word "surgery" and "amputation" and "can't save it" were thrown around a thousand before she got there. He really didn't have much time to decide what to do with his leg, how to proceed, but until they really pressed him for a choice he wasn't going to think about it. If he stopped to think about it, or listened to her sob over how bad it was going to be, he'd find a way to release the safety stopper on the Demerol drip and end it all.

"I have to find Wilson and explain this to him." She said softly when she composed herself, "Please just...try to get some rest and not think about this. If it helps I don't blame you for what you did." She told him and leaned down to kiss his forehead. He didn't respond but he actually did believe she wasn't blaming him at that point, he highly doubted Wilson would feel the same way. Once again he was the cause of introducing untold misery into that man's life, and what was worse, it was a woman that Wilson loved. A woman that House thought fit him the best yet out of all the ones he had been through, a woman he would never admit out loud was Wilson's perfect match. How could he even say that now anyway? To say that now would just hurt more. It should have been something said far before that point and now it was too late. Leila was going to end up hurt or worse, there would be no good end result to this situation. He really wished to just slip into a coma forever and not have to deal with it.

Cuddy found Wilson outside holding a cigarette, it was unlit. She rushed to him and slapped it out of his hand and he started to yell before turning to see who had just done that. She looked up at him. He had no idea why he had gotten a cigarette, he'd never smoked before in his damn life, and especially now that he was an oncologist that shit just seemed stupid. Leila did smoke though, when she was way too stressed out or upset, and he guessed he just missed the smell of it or thought that he should have one for her because he didn't think she'd be given one any time soon.

"Wilson, having a coughing fit and vomiting everywhere isn't going to help you feel better." Cuddy said softly.

"I know but...drugs aren't an option either. I'm not House." He frowned and then took a sip of his coffee after picking it up from the bench he had set it on. She sighed. This poor guy was about to be put through the ringer. She wasn't sure what kind of state he was in with his relationship. He was sure the two of them had exchanged "I love yous" but the way they looked at each other, how they interacted, there was no doubt in her mind it was the real thing and House had ultimately ruined it. It was something he had wanted from the start, and maybe he didn't want it now, but in the end he always some how managed to get his way on stuff like this.

"We could go to a bar? There's a pub down the street." She suggested.

"Not a good idea either, alcohol will just make me angry then depressed at this point." He looked down at the ground and then back up at the sky slowly, "This was what he wanted. He got his wish."

"This was what he wanted a few months ago when Leila was first appointed as his nanny, I don't think he wants it now." She told him softly, "In fact it seems to me he did everything he could to not let this happen. At least if I go by what he's saying and the evidence would verify it as the truth."

"What's he saying?" Wilson asked in a tone of voice that let her know that he automatically thought House was lying about what had happened. Cuddy wasn't sure she wanted to tell him. How would he react? Wilson was empathetic and understanding but he had reached a breaking point and even if she presented this story in as gentle a way that she could there was a huge chance it wouldn't matter. What she was sure of was that she didn't want House to tell it to him because he wouldn't be tactful.

"Mark got him to a point where he was being tortured." Cuddy said.

"Why did House let himself get in that position in the first place?" Wilson nearly snapped at her but then took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.

"I didn't ask, mostly because he's very stoned on narcotics right now and I thought the more important part of the story was what happened to Leila and how she happened to get involved with this." She replied. She did want to know why House had seemingly just walked out of that bar and went with Mark of his own free will. What the hell he thought he was going to accomplish but that was also something that could wait. There was a limited window of time when House would even answer her when he was like that so she got the information that was important to Wilson instead. Eventually House would tell her everything, even if it was just her that he told.

"So what is he claiming happened?" Wilson asked.

"I guess Mark was electrocuting him. He said strong volts just upper body at first. Then Mark wanted him to do something that he didn't want to do." Cuddy said, "And the voltage was transferred directly to his thigh instead." She had to swallow back a gag when she thought of how incredibly horrifying that must have been for House to go through and once again the thought of it going on for an hour crept up on her. She had to take a seat on the near by bench to keep herself steady, she didn't like how much the idea actually physically hurt her. For House, it would have been a thousand times worse.

"House was being tortured then refused to do something in lieu of it continuing? I find that hard to believe." Wilson snorted. Cuddy sighed loudly, this wasn't at all going the way she hoped. She just kept getting more and more upset while he just kept getting more and more angry. "What was this thing that he didn't want to do so badly?" Wilson asked, almost drawing his hands up in air quotes when he said the word 'thing'. His tone was overly sarcastic and disbelieving. Cuddy had very little hopes that the rest of this story would at all diffuse the anger that was already building.

"Mark wanted him to lure Leila there. When he refused to help that's when Mark started the torture on his thigh." Cuddy told him softly. Wilson's eyes went wide, Cuddy was pretty sure she'd never seen him angrier than in that moment.

"What? Is that why she went there?" He demanded.

"Wilson listen, he..."

"House KNEW she has a weak spot for helping people! Especially him for some reason! HE SHOULD HAVE SAID NO!" Wilson yelled at her as if it was her fault because by dating House she was some sort of extension of him. He started to head into the hospital. God she hadn't even been able to get the rest of the story out, about how long House had held out before he agreed to it.

"Wilson come back." She told him, but she followed anyway. She knew he'd be heading up to House's room and that a confrontation was inevitable if she couldn't find some way to convey to Wilson how House had struggled with the choice and also, in the end, he really didn't have one.

"What he went through before he decided to..."

"Oh who gives a shit Cuddy? He still did it! That's why Leila is gone and he gets to sit in that cushy hospital room with all his favorite drugs while God only knows what Mark is doing to her." He said and got on the elevator, pressing the button to House's floor rapidly. Cuddy got on there with him. There wasn't must else she could do. She could only pray House would be far too out of it to even respond once Wilson got up there but the man could hold his drugs and pretty well at that. They also probably weren't giving him a ton of them considering the state he had arrived at the hospital in.

"Wilson, it was his leg, Mark was sending electricity through it for over-"

"I DON'T CARE! HE STILL DID IT!" Wilson yelled. Cuddy was getting frustrated, he wasn't even trying to listen to her at that point. It was either because he actually thought that House hadn't tried hard enough or he wanted someone to take his anger out on and Mark wasn't there. She knew he wouldn't turn too much of his anger on her, he wasn't like that, but considering the volatile relationship he already had with House, coupled with the past few months and what House had already done to Leila and to try to rip them apart, she didn't know how much she could fault him for being this upset. He was facing losing Leila, there really was no telling what Mark's motives were, and she was going to be caught in the middle. Wilson was one of her best friends, House was her fiance. She didn't want to lose either of them during this, and making a choice would be incredibly hard. If it came down to it she was going to have to protect House, but she really didn't want it to come down to that.

"It's his leg though, can you even imagine-"

"Then you should have let them chop it off when they wanted to and there would have been nothing left to torture." Wilson growled at her and got off the elevator as soon as the doors opened. Cuddy honestly didn't think words could ever cut her as deeply as that statement just had. She stood there rather stunned that he would say something that insulting to her. She was frozen with the pain of those words, enough that the doors shut while she was still on the elevator trying to regain composure. Had he really just said that to her? And was it because he actually thought that? Or because he was angry. Leila had once told her that even things said out of anger usually held truth and now she was completely unsure how to continue.

Wilson stormed into House's room. The guy was out. Good. He went to the machine that was regulating his pain killers and safely deactivated it before completely removing the tube that would deliver the medication into House. Luckily he knew how to tamper with all of this stuff without setting alarms off. House seemed dead to the world at that point. Of course he was still alive, heart rate and blood pressure steady, actually it was a little low showing how relaxed he had become. In that moment, Wilson hated him more than anything. Though he was never the kind of guy to kick a man when he was down, he also didn't think House was the kind of man who would ever get back up at that point. He ruined lives, that's all he did, nothing mattered unless it was directly effecting him. There was no point to anything unless he was feeling pain. Before he even knew he was doing it, he had pulled his fist back and punched House in the face. Not nearly as hard as he could have, there might be a bruise left later but no broken bones or cartilage. It was just something that made him feel better to do. This sudden jolt of pain immediately woke House and caused him to cry out. Bringing his hand to his face and rubbing it gently.

"Wilson? WHAT THE FUCK!?" House yelled at him.

"You think you can get away with this? Huh? All of it? And be seen as some sort of hero because of your damn leg? Well I have news for you. Whatever Mark does to Leila in the time that she's missing, I'm going to do to you." He told him with a stone cold serious expression. House's opioid soaked brain was scared into believing this. It was spoken in such a way that he couldn't even convince himself that it was something Wilson had just said out of anger.

"Wilson-"

"NO! You don't get to talk, you don't get to justify your actions, you don't get shit from me. You just better pray that she comes back without a single scratch on her entire body. That's the end of it." He told him and stormed out of the room, not letting House get the last word that time. He was angry, and he wasn't even sure if he was telling the truth about hurting House further if Leila came back fucked up. What he did know was that House deserved all the damn pain in the world for what he had done and he didn't feel the least bit sorry about punching him in the face.

  



	22. Chapter 22

Cuddy hurried to House's room as soon as she snapped out of the weird hurt that Wilson had put her in by saying what he had. She wasn't sure if she should confront him or not so she was glad he was gone by the time she got into the room. There she found another problem. House had a bruised eye, one that wasn't there before. Knowing Wilson had been in there it was a short jump of logic to figure out what had happened to him. She rushed to his side, he was currently trying to fiddle with the narcotic machine so he could get more in him, apparently Wilson had disconnected that as well.

"What happened?" She asked him and she took over hooking him back up.

"Wilson is upset I guess." He muttered and then laid back in the bed. He figured Wilson had every right to be reacting the way he was. He was still kicking himself for not helping Leila more, for not doing everything he could to prevent her from being taken. He should have just let himself die or at least pass out to a point where there was no way to get him out by Mark and he would have had to call for help or just leave him for dead. He'd been left for dead before and always seemed to manage.

"You guess? He clearly punched you in the face, House." she said softly, "He's just...worried about Leila."

"Yeah well I deserved the punch to the face." He whispered and then yawned, "Look I really just want to sleep right now, you can stay but I'm not going to be the best conversationalist." She nodded slightly and pulled up a chair. She wasn't sure how much she wanted him to talk or to even talk to him. What she did know was that she was scared and hurt. There was a nagging thought in her brain to go after Wilson but his words cut her like a knife and she just couldn't think about doing it at that point. In the end, she fell asleep on the chair she had pulled up to the bed, holding his hand gently. It would be three days before they would hear anything about Leila.

It was three in the morning when the call came. Cuddy had been staying at Leila's place with Wilson. He had to take care of her dog, not that he saw it as something of a burden. She knew he was more of a cat person but the way he was with Sawyer was just amazing. Playing with him and talking to him. Though he tended to ignore her more than anything. She figured he was blaming her for this. She didn't think she should be blamed at all for the actions of House but she understood his logic. She had enabled him time and again and maybe if she hadn't they wouldn't be in this position. Maybe if she hadn't lied on the stand with the whole Tritter incident he would have learned something by now. Yet had events not led where they did, there was a chance Wilson might not even know Leila. She wasn't sure what to think but she let him have his space since that's what he seemed to want.

House had been moved to PPTH after nagging anyone and everyone that would listen to him. It seemed like surgery on his leg was imminent. He was putting it off, they kept telling him he didn't have much time to wait on this but he kept telling them to leave him alone until he could figure things out. When she asked him how long that would take he always told her it would depend on if Leila came back or not. He always said 'if' not 'when' and though he had explained everything he had done, why he had left with Mark, and what his intentions had been he had still seen something in Mark's eyes that told him Leila might very possibly be dead.

The weird thing was, the call wasn't from the police. The call was from a woman named Jill, a woman who was calling herself Mark's wife. The reason she was calling was because she had seen Mark's picture on a website news feed. She also recognized Leila, saying that the guy never shut up about her and had a few pictures left. There wasn't a reason for why she hadn't called the cops at that point, well not one she was going to give Wilson, but she said she wanted to help. Wilson, who Cuddy didn't think had been sleeping much if at all, was all set to listen to this woman as if she was some sort of magical gatekeeper that could help bring him to Leila. Though Cuddy hadn't heard any of this phone conversation she had heard the phone ring. It woke her up, then she heard his muffled voice, Leila's name said several times and rapid rustling around the loft as if Wilson was preparing to leave. That's what had gotten her up and out of bed. He explained everything to her quickly, everything except for where he thought he was going.

"James...take a deep breath and realize that you going somewhere without telling me or the police is going to hurt you more than it's going to help you." Cuddy told him after he refused to give any more information for a third time.

"I need to do this." He said seriously. "Watch the dog."

"No you don't need to do anything. The police can help this situation far more than you can. What do you think you are going to do if you run into Mark? That guy is a freight train, he'll destroy you. Think about this okay? Just call the cops and-"

"NO!" He yelled at her, "You don't get it do you?" He grabbed his keys from the counter top and headed for the door.

"What don't I get?" She asked, rushing after him and putting a hand on his arm to stop him. He turned to look at her. Immediately she saw vengeance in his eyes. Was his plan to kill Mark or try to hurt him? Was this why he didn't want the cops involved. "Wilson you aren't going to kill him are you?"

"Don't be stupid." He rolled his eyes. They were so tired, red, and dark from exhaustion. He couldn't have been thinking clearly, not even close to it. All he had been doing the past three days was sulking around, barely talking to anyone. He hadn't been back in to see House and he'd been drinking far more than she'd ever seen him do in his life.

"Then tell me where you think you are going." She insisted.

"Jill said there were charges to his credit card made. Out of state, southern New York. Apparently he rented a cabin there. She got the address and she gave it to me. He's a sitting duck." Wilson told her.

"Oh for Fuck's sake Wilson you are such an idiot if you think you are going to go there and-"

"HE HAS LEILA!" Wilson yelled at her and then took a deep breath, putting his hand to his face and rubbing it slightly, "He has Leila, he also has connections, he'll walk on this and just do it again, and again...he has to be stopped."

"Yes...but not by you." Cuddy said gently, "For one, he took her out of state, that makes it federal and unless he has FBI friends, he's screwed, for two...you don't have a gun nor do I think you can fight anyone beyond the first punch. You aren't like this, you aren't this guy. Please just think about it rationally for a moment. If you have the address to this cabin, authorities in New York can get there far faster than you, and there's not telling if he plans to stay there or move on. Be smart. If you want her back you going yourself will not do a damn thing." She told him.

"But I told Jill..."

"You told her what? What the hell do you owe that bitch?" She asked. "You've gotten like ten hours of sleep in the past three days, you talk mostly to her dog and when you do sleep you say her name a lot, you aren't even close to being ready to do this and you aren't as stupid as House. If you want to see her again, call the police." Cuddy told him. He closed his eyes for a long moment and reached into his pocket. He got his phone out and looked at it before looking back at her. There was a pregnant pause before he dialed 911. She was only grateful that he had been loud enough to wake her and she hadn't been that asleep in the first place, only dozing. If he would have left all of them would have been screwed. She knew this was for the best and she hoped she could keep him thinking on that train as well.

Early on the morning of the fourth day, House woke up in agony. He reached for the button on his pain medication dispenser to find that it was completely out. Also something was beeping, a monitor or whatever, but the pain was so damn bad he couldn't be bothered to check which one, he just wanted it to stop. He groaned and grabbed for the call button. Maybe a nurse could bring him something, or at very least hit him over the head with a giant mallet and knock him the fuck out. He knew he should keep putting off the surgery but they'd take the leg if they deemed it necessary and he still wasn't ready to face that. His hand gripped around for the call button when he felt a softer hand on his, the cold plastic was placed in it. His eyes opened, if someone was there why weren't they helping him? It was Leila. That wasn't even close to being possible. Was he dreaming? No, things didn't hurt like this when he dreamed, or did they?

"Leila?" He breathed.

"Yeah?" She asked like he was stupid. She pulled up a chair and sat down, "Push the call button already, you are in pain."

"I'm...you...dead?" He asked, he couldn't seem to fit the 'aren't' in there but it didn't matter because it was clear what he was asking her, he knew from the little smirk that crossed her face.

"I'm your conscience." She told him.

"What the-"

"Or I'm a ghost I don't know I'm something..." She shrugged, "Whatever I am, you need to go into surgery for your leg."

"This isn't happening." He groaned and pushed the call button repeatedly.

"Probably not, but if it's not, why are you holding that button?" She asked, crossing her legs gracefully. She was in an amazingly pretty dress, way too dressed up for a hospital visit, like she was going to a banquet or something. A nurse came in there, rather slowly, like she couldn't be bothered with much of any of this. Though she was holding a bag of narcotics and that's all that really mattered. What worried him was that she wasn't reacting to Leila.

"She can't see you?" He asked.

"See who?" The nurse asked him flippantly, it didn't seem she cared much either way. There was a good chance he had been loopy the whole time he had been there and she was just doing her job. Which would be good for him because no one needed to be questioning his sanity at that point.

"Jesus." House replied sardonically.

"Very funny House." The nurse said and put the pain medication button in his hand after pushing it, "Get some rest and make up your mind about the leg." She was gone very quickly after that, but Leila wasn't. She was still sitting there, in the long red gown with the slit up the side, her hair up in an elegant hold, and the very close to being stripper shoes on her feet. He wanted to fuck her, which was an odd thought to have but maybe it was because the pain had almost vanished now that he had gotten more medication in his system.

"Go away." he told her, "I don't need a head shrink to give me advice on my leg."

"You don't have time to dick around on this, I'm telling you what you need to hear." She told him softly.

"Okay see I'm not going to listen to you, I don't even like you...and if I was having an actual hallucination you'd be wearing FAR less than that so I'll just ignore you now." He told her and rolled over. Maybe he could go back to getting actual sleep if she just shut up. Though he was starting to believe that with all he had been through those past few days, it wasn't a stretch to think that he was just way too stressed out. Besides, how much demerol had he been on? It was a constant stream into his blood, plus the fact that Mark had almost overdosed him on it before they found him and he already had a history of abuse, maybe he was actually breaking.

"House, you not fixing your leg isn't going to bring me back if I'm already dead." She told him. He opened his eyes, intending to roll over and yell at her but she was sitting on the other side of the bed where he was facing now, looking down into his eyes.

"I can see down your dress." He told her.

"Stop deflecting. Tell them you want the surgery." She said seriously. He looked up at her, squinting his eyes. This couldn't be real, he knew there were no such things as ghosts, this was just something that his brain was doing because he had been through far too much in the past few days, far more than any human should ever had to have gone through. Yet if he would have just taken a little bit more, "Stop it House just stop, you did what you could to try to keep me from harm. Wilson will get over it, and if Cuddy blamed you she wouldn't keep coming here telling you the same thing I am about your leg. If you go now there's a chance they won't need to take it at all, you wait any longer and it's going to be gone and you know it."

"There's also a huge chance they will take it now anyway. I should have gone into surgery the moment they told me I needed it. Until you...well Leila gets back and I know what happened I am not doing anything." He snapped, "Please just go the fuck away." He pulled the blanket over his head, and she pulled it back down violently. He looked up at her, completely stunned. She leaned into him slowly, putting her lips to his ear, so close he could feel her hot breath on him which also made absolutely no sense.

"Leila would tell you to get the surgery." She breathed, in almost a sensual voice.

"YOU AREN'T REAL!" He yelled at her.

"House?" Cuddy asked. His head turned swiftly to look at her and then back to Leila, well where Leila was, she wasn't there any more. He could still smell something that smelled like that rose scented perfume she always wore but she wasn't there. He turned back to Cuddy, then back to where Leila was. This was utterly confusing but if she was gone he would take it, he didn't need her in his face like that. Why couldn't he hallucinate something awesome like horny blond lesbians with no inhibitions?

"I...I guess I was having a bad dream." He muttered, "Why are you here? It's not even visiting hours yet."

"I'm the dean of the hospital House, but that's not important, they found her." She said coming more into the room, but it looked like she had incredibly bad news. He felt his heart drop into his stomach, she was going to tell him that Leila was dead, wasn't she? God this was it, his actions as a selfish asshole had ruined Wilson's life and ended Leila's. He deserved everything, they should take his leg, hell they should take the other one, his arms too. He was nothing, he was scum. "She's alive and in stable condition."

"Wh-what?" he breathed softly.

"Yeah they got there just in time. Mark...he...suicide by cop apparently." She said, "I mean they aren't saying that but I do know they shot him and he's smart enough that he'd know how to surrender right if he intended to." House blinked a few times, he hadn't even realized that his eyes had been burning with tears until they fell in that very moment.

"How is...how bad is it?" he asked her.

"Pretty bad. Extensive injuries to her legs, one is broken in three places, both of her Achilles' were sliced deep then badly stitched up, she has a massive infection in the leg that's broken, they think they got her in time that a strong course of antibiotics will stop it." Cuddy said softly and then sat in the chair across from him, "Emotionally though...I don't know what he did to her but she...she's not telling. Well, Wilson's not telling."

"Wilson? Where is Leila? Where is Wilson?" he asked trying to sit up quickly.

"Hey...lay down okay? They are both in New York right now. We are looking to get her transferred here, and you aren't going anywhere anyway." She said taking his hand and squeezing it firmly. "She'll make it through this. Wilson told me that she said something about him doing that to her when she tried to run from him, twice. She didn't give up he was just a maniac, she's not going to give up because she's back."

"He fucking mutilated her though." House said.

"Yeah and they are going to fix her. The prognosis for her leg is excellent. She might need a few pins in it but once that heels she's going to be fine." Cuddy told him, "Please just...listen to me right now because what I have to tell you is important." House looked at her oddly, like she hadn't just said a whole bunch of important things.

"More important than the fact that she's alive?" House asked.

"I wasn't there when they found her, I was waiting for news. Wilson said that the first thing she asked about was you. She wanted to know if you were okay. House you need to go into surgery okay?" She said taking his hand, "All Wilson said was that she was worried about you and how she had found you, babbling something about you and a drug overdose...I don't know but she clearly wouldn't want you to wait on this and neither do I."

"It's Wilson, he's lying." House muttered.

"Oh for...House...he may be extremely angry at you right now but I'm sure he doesn't want you to lose your leg. He knows how bad the situation is and-"

"Considering what was done to her legs, and how he promised he'd do whatever was done to her to me, that's exactly what he'd want. No deal." House growled and then tried to roll over again. What he had just said was news to Cuddy but she chose to ignore it. Besides she highly doubted Wilson was going to inflict any sort of pain on House, he was far more concerned with Leila at that point and would be for a very long time. If he had said anything like that it had been out of anger, it hadn't been some sort of promise for blood and she knew it.

"House-"

"No. She's being transferred here right? Well when she gets here, she can tell me herself." House said, "We can wait that long if we've already waited this long. They aren't really going to force me for another day or two anyway and I can deal with the pain I'm in."

"You are being an ass."

"Yeah well it's my leg and you already got your say in it once." He snapped. He wasn't stupid, he knew it would get to a point where she could start making choices for him. Hell, he was probably already at that point but it didn't seem like she intended on making a move on that any time soon either, which was good. Considering how bad he made her feel for what she had done the last time she probably would let him drag this out before trying to enforce anything and the paperwork would take at least a few days if not a few weeks. Right now he was his own guardian and no one had rights to make choices for him. It was a hell of a gamble to wait but he was going to take it. If what she thought was a fair trade was getting his leg removed then he'd have to do it. He was so convinced her deserved it at that point in his mind there was no going back.

Cuddy was already well aware that this was the way he was thinking also. She knew there was no way Leila would ever want that, but trying to convince him otherwise seemed to be like talking to a brick wall. All of them had been through a lot in the past few days, Leila as well as him. Cuddy herself had been held at gun point, she had seen House go missing, had found out he was tortured, thought Leila was gone for good, and had to deal with Wilson almost going Die Hard on Mark. This was such a tough situation and she really didn't want to have to wait for Leila to have the end say on this when she felt she was far more important. Yet he was sitting there thinking that he needed to let her punish him, and for what reason? He had done everything he could but he didn't think that. She really was at a loss for what to say. Someone needed to come in there to tell him he had been punished enough and it couldn't be her. Within the next few hours Leila would be there, it wasn't far to transport her, yet she didn't even think she had that much time to convince him, and that was if Leila even wanted to talk to him or could. Something had to be done about this and her next bet bet was getting Wilson in there. She was scared, scared about every aspect and variable but if she didn't get him into surgery soon he would lose his leg and there would be no going back.

  



	23. Chapter 23

About four hours later, Cuddy came up to House's room to inform him that Leila had arrived at PPTH. Of course House started to demand to see her that very moment. Cuddy knew this would happen and she was trying to talk him down from it. However, House was a bit more mobile than Leila was at that point, in the way that despite his pain he was willing to get into a damn wheelchair if it meant getting an answer to his question. Cuddy still had no idea why he was so adamant about this hanging on Leila but she figured if it was her that something bad had happened to because of him he'd be asking for her judgement too. This weird, backwards way he had of trying to punish himself had to stop, but if this was what would make him decide to go into surgery she was just going to humor him. She wanted to go in, no matter what, waiting any longer was risking further infection, further amputation, further complications and even a possible death. Let him be crazy if this got him on the operating table. The one obstacle she was going to have was Wilson, as he didn't seem to want to leave Leila's side and he was firm on his stance about not seeing House for a very long time, though she didn't think he meant that either.

"House, calm down okay? You are just going to hurt yourself further." Cuddy told him as she tried to get him into the wheelchair. She was amazed he could move that much to begin with but the human body was capable of interesting things when it was under stress. House was obsessed with getting this answer it would make compartmentalizing the pain far easier as he moved. Hearing Leila was alive and also alert had given him some sort of hope in his emotionally fucked up brain and so he was eager to proceed instead of wallow in the agony he was in previously.

"Shut up and get me in there." House told her, "Lets go! Chop chop!"

"Okay well this is if Wilson will even let you in there you know." She said and moved the stoppers on the wheels to the chair so she could push it for him. This was so stupid, she didn't even know why she was agreeing to it, mostly because she knew Wilson was about to play bouncer and not even let him in the room, hell he might not even let House within five feet of it. That's why she wasn't alerting the guy to the fact that she was doing it. If she could get House in there far enough and close enough to be within ear shot of Leila that's all she needed, even if it only lasted for a second. The thing was, Leila might not even want to deal with this right now, though hopefully she would say something that would convince him he was being an asshole. As she kind of predicted, Wilson was standing outside of her door. Though it made no sense as to why, had she told him to go play guard or was he just doing it to do it.

"No." He said seriously, "Turn him around."

"Oh come on Wilson, don't be a dick. You had your free shot at me, I just need to hear her tell me what to do." House told him seriously, to Cuddy it looked like he was about to launch himself out of the chair with what energy he had left and just tackle Wilson to the ground to get in there. Wilson folded his arms over his chest and stood his ground.

"She doesn't want to talk to you." He said firmly.

"Did you even ask her?" Cuddy asked softly.

"I don't need to." Wilson replied, "Get him away. He's lucky I don't chop his leg off myself right now. Do you even have ANY idea what you've done?" Wilson asked. "You are such a selfish piece of-"

"James?" Leila's voice called weakly. It was loud enough to be heard, but just barely. House looked up, so did Cuddy. Maybe Wilson was wrong about this, maybe Leila would talk to him. It was so horrible of them to be demanding this of her right now. Cuddy also knew there was a ton of things about what Leila had gone through that Wilson just wasn't sharing for whatever reason, but the haunted look on his face told him it had been something far more than just the sliced heels and the broken leg. The guy looked scarred for life from whatever he heard. She didn't know if Wilson was trying to spare her from feeling the same horror or if he was just so pissed he wanted to keep them in the dark out of spite. Wilson turned and Leila sat up.

House leaned forward and saw her for the first time since his last memory of Mark choking her out. She had a slash mark across one of her eyes. It hadn't been stitched just mildly bandaged, it would heel, maybe leave a small scar, it wouldn't be disfiguring, not even close. He still felt like his heart was put in a vice when he saw that. He had already smashed her face in himself and someone else had gone after it as well, and it was his fault again, had he not been stupid Mark would have never had the chance to do it.

"Do it...tell him to do it...don't let them take it though..." She said, once again her voice loud enough to be heard but just barely.

"What?" Wilson asked.

"Someone go into surgery with him, do not let them take the leg, have them reduce the swelling, do what they can...do not...let them...take it." She said, she sounded like she was struggling to get the words out. Mostly because it sounded like her energy was draining exponentially with every single word but this was a very important message from her.

"There, you heard her, go." Wilson said. He still wasn't letting them in the door.

"Leila they might have to ta-"

"NO! If you go in there with them you will not let them! There are small things they can do right now...I can get him help...not if they take it." Leila said and then whined slightly, "Please just listen to me I can't explain now..." She said and laid back on the bed. Wilson glared at House, he wasn't exactly sure why she was so insistent they didn't take the leg or what the hell she thought she could do to help him that she couldn't before, but fuck he'd take it. At least someone was on his side in this, someone else didn't want the leg taken.

"Cuddy, do what she says." Wilson said, "You still aren't getting in the room." He stepped inside and slid the door shut, locking it and pulling the blinds. Cuddy rolled her eyes but this was probably what House needed to hear and she would be in the operating room if that's what it took to make sure the leg was not amputated.

"Come on lets go...I hate to say chop chop but..."

"House this is so-"

"It's her dying wish." House said and started to try to moved the wheelchair himself to get back to his room.

"She's not dying." Cuddy said annoyed, "In fact she's probably in better health than you considering both your injuries."

"I know, it just sounded more dramatic." He told her, "Lets go, you need to scrub in anyway." Cuddy rolled her eyes and caught up with him. He had already managed to move the chair a few feet but she could probably push him faster, he shouldn't be exerting himself like that anyway, especially not before surgery. She really didn't think this was a good idea, but she was kind of touched that House wasn't questioning her ability to stand in there and not let them take the leg when he had all but accused her of wanting it gone several times in his life before. Maybe it was just that he knew he had no other option, maybe he was inspired by Leila's words and thought that everything would be okay. In any case, she knew they wouldn't be taking his leg no matter how many people she had to threaten to, or actually fire.

It was quite a few hours later when Cuddy entered Leila's room, by herself. Luckily Wilson wasn't playing goalie with her on that. He just seemed to not want House in there, and she couldn't blame him on that as much as she could. Though House had caused the situation for this to happen it wasn't like he had physically assaulted Leila himself. She also still didn't know Leila's position on this, if she hated him or what was going on with that. What she did know was that House had made it through surgery, the leg was still there but it was even worse now in way of how much muscle was there, and House would be out for quite some time due to pain killers and the fact that they had to induce another coma just to make sure he wouldn't fuck up the leg. They had to give it time to heal and they wouldn't feel safe to bring him out of it for probably a week, not even for a second. Besides, Cuddy didn't want to be the one to tell him they had to take more muscle, and if there was some sort of bluff on Leila's part that she could help him, and she was just being a bitch to punish him over this more Cuddy did not need to see the look on his face when he found it all out.

"He made it through." Cuddy said softly. She had changed into more casual clothes, jeans and a t-shirt. It was all that had been in her office. It had been hard to convince them not to amputate completely, and the yelling she ended up doing left her rather hoarse. She really hoped that it would be worth it because if this was all some sort of plan to make House suffer she was going to be extremely angry about it. Leila was sitting up and eating, Wilson had brought her sushi, something that was absolutely not on the hospital menu, though she wasn't surprised he had gone out to get her anything she wanted. That woman could have him waiting on her hand and foot for the rest of her life if she wanted. There was quite a change in Wilson's expression though, at that point, he looked happy. There was a glow about him as he watched her pick up each little roll and pop it into her mouth to chew on. If she was aware of how he was looking at her she wasn't saying anything about it, nor did the look on her face denote that.

"Good." Leila said and then swallowed the food in her mouth and looked at Cuddy, "I made a phone call. There's going to be a doctor friend of mine flying in from Japan." Cuddy looked at her. She really didn't know much about Leila, but the girl had always seemed to have a penchant for the asian arts and cuisine. At that point only Wilson knew that she had lived most of her life in Japan and it made sense why she had that kind of taste in food and decor.

"Uh...who do you know in Japan?" She asked.

"I spent most of my life there. I own a house there, well I mean it was my parents, they left it to me. I haven't been there since they died. It was my childhood home...well...estate." She rolled her eyes, "Does it really matter? The doctor is a specialist, she can help."

"If she can help House's leg, why didn't you offer us this information before?" Cuddy asked, not realizing the attitude in her voice.

"Maybe I thought he didn't deserve it. Are you really going to pick a fight with me over this right now?" Leila almost snarled at her, which was a huge change in any way Cuddy had ever seen her act. Not that the woman didn't have a right to be angry, and she had a point. Why would she offer any sort of help to House after what he had put her through.

"I think the point is she's offering it now when she could have just yelled at him to get the leg chopped off. She was very aware that was the situation Cuddy and he was being such a dick he would have listened to whatever she decided for some weird reason." Wilson immediately sided with Leila. Cuddy felt ganged up on but it wasn't like she hadn't expected as much. There was no way Wilson wasn't going to side with what Leila said. He had become the man that was too scared to endanger anything between him and the woman he loved. She could start rambling about how the sky was purple and he'd stand there listing reasons on why she was right. There was no reason to try to negate any of this at that point.

"Okay fine." Cuddy said, "But they aren't bringing him out of the the coma for at least a week. Can she assess him in that time?" Cuddy asked, "And who's paying for all of this?" Both Leila and Wilson instantly gave her a look as if she was a fucking moron.

"Really? Do you think I'd try to make this a hospital expense? I'm paying for it, I have the money. If you are worried about it sell that damn ring." Leila said and motioned to the engagement ring on her finger. Cuddy swallowed hard, well that was uncalled for. Or was it? She needed to leave, and quickly. They were both aiming for the jugular at that point, and though she understood why they were both pissed, she was the absolute wrong person to be directing the anger at. She had just spent hours on the surgical floor making sure everything was done the way Leila wanted when she was of the mind it would have been better to take the leg. House wouldn't have to suffer as much while Leila got her doctor friend to play witch doctor on him. She still wasn't even sure what kind of doctor this was, how the she intended to help, or what kind of treatment could be done at that point that House himself didn't know about.

"This better not be some ploy to-"

"I suggest you leave, Lisa." Wilson said in a voice that was almost chilling. It was so calm that it had become angry again. He sounded very ready to snap at her. Whatever they had been talking about before she had come in, whatever had happened in the time she had been in surgery, clearly it had put some sort of hurt in them that they didn't want to share with her. The best approach would be to leave and come back after she had given them some time. House would need someone to sit with him anyway, well maybe not, she just felt like that was the more right thing to be doing as neither of them seemed all that concerned with it at that point. She just nodded her head slightly and walked out. She didn't need to be their verbal punching bag, she'd go be with House if this was how they intended to treat her. Things were bad enough as they were.

House groaned, waking up slowly when he heard two very school girl like giggles echoing through the room. His eyelids fluttered open. Things seemed a little too perfect, especially the part with his leg feeling absolutely fine. He quickly threw the covers back to see a perfect leg there. No scar, no dent, no weird void where muscle had been before. He knew at that point none of this was real. In his experiments with lucid dreams and also trying to figure out when he might be hallucinating or not, that was his sign. He had read a lot about it, to pick something that should be a constant, or some sort of sign that was so damn wacky and out of place that it would knock sense into him and he'd be able to tell if it was reality or a dream. The giggling happened again, this time it was louder, closer. It sounded like Leila and Cuddy giggling but he couldn't be sure. Either way he knew this wasn't reality, either he was dead or on some completely awesome medication.

"Cuddy?" He called, he didn't care much for Leila at that point, but he knew he did want to see Cuddy, especially if she was giggling like a horny school girl.

"Do you think we should tell him...?" He heard Leila's voice echo, it seemed to come from everywhere at once but he couldn't exactly see her, nor was anyone else around. He kept walking, it was kind odd because he didn't need his cane for one, and for another the hallway seemed to stretch on into eternity, there was no end to it that he could even see.

"Do you think we should tell him...?" Cuddy's voice parroted the first statement.

"Tell me what? This isn't funny!" He said. It was easy to get lost in the fact that nothing was real when everything felt like it was. Their voices had all the youth of teenage girls and the giggling started again. He was getting annoyed by this.

"We shouldn't tell him..."

"He'll get angry..." It was Leila's voice and then Cuddy's right after it again, he was still walking. He wasn't sure what they didn't want to tell him but he was already angry so if they were trying to prevent that, they had severely failed at their jobs.

"CUDDY!" He yelled angrily, "CUT IT OUT!" In the midst of his frustration he just jammed the nearest door open and there they were. Leila in a normal business type outfit that she wore to work every day, her hair pulled back, and Cuddy in probably the sexiest damn hospital gown he'd ever seen laying seductively on the exam table. His jaw dropped. The hell were they doing in here before he got there? Did it really even matter? He smiled sideways.

"He found us." Leila said turning to Cuddy.

"He sure did." Cuddy said. Both of them now speaking in incredibly sexy and seductive voices, "Maybe we should give him his prize." The two of them giggled.

"Okay well if I'm supposed to get pissed that you two are suddenly going to lesbian with each other...I think you severely misjudged who I am as a person." House said coming more into the room and shutting the door. He was headed right for Cuddy, he didn't give a shit where Leila was or even what she was doing. Cuddy had never looked more sexy to him and he didn't have any more cares as to how real this was, it would be awesome to fuck her with two working legs especially on an exam table. How kinky was that?

"Oh that's not what we think you'll get mad about Greg..." Cuddy said, pulling him in close. She locked her eyes with his and stroked his cheek, pulling him into a passionate kiss. He groaned softly and kissed her back, nothing had ever felt that amazing. His arms came up to wrap around her smaller frame and pull her closer into him.

"Then what am I going to get mad about, Lisa?" He asked, breaking the kiss as his curiosity got the better of him.

"That Leila's about to take your leg..." Cuddy's giggle went from sweet and innocent to incredibly evil in about two seconds flat. House squinted his eyes and then turned as he saw Leila fast approaching. She looked pissed and she was holding the most comically large butcher knife he had ever seen. He opened his mouth to scream as she sliced it right through his thigh, there was a loud clang as the metal of the blade went through his leg like there was nothing there and hit the exam table. The flash of pain that went through him was blinding, white exploded from behind both of his eyes, it seemed beyond him to even scream out at that point. "Told you he wouldn't be happy."

"Bastard deserved it." Leila said, well at least he heard her voice before things suddenly went dark and silent. A moment after that he drifted back into a place where he wasn't aware of anything, which may have just been better for him at that point.

It was the next morning when Doctor Koji arrived. To Cuddy's dismay the woman didn't speak a word of English and Leila had to be there to translate everything. She was notified of Doctor Koji being there the moment she arrived for a half day of normal work before she would go sit with House for the rest of it. Not that she wouldn't be doing work in there too, it just wouldn't be as intense as doing her regular routine. Not that she could take many more days like this but considering all she had been through as well as three of her department heads, the board was willing to give her a bit of a break. She just didn't want to push her luck or the good fortune they were letting her have. Today would be the last day like it. She knew House was absolutely fine just under chemical sedation, there really was no reason she couldn't go back to her normal routine. She wasn't physically injured, just emotionally exhausted.

She entered the room and saw the woman. She was very attractive but tiny. Doctor Koji was even smaller than Cuddy herself with incredibly strong asian features. Leila and her were chattering away in rapid Japanese and Wilson was looking bored out of his skull. Clearly he didn't understand a word of what was going on either and they weren't trying to include him in the conversation. Leila turned and looked at Cuddy when she saw her. She said something to Koji, the only part of which Cuddy understood was her own name. Koji nodded and approached Cuddy, she bowed slightly then offered her hand.

"Lisa, this is Doctor Koji, she's the specialist I was talking about." Leila said, then said something in Japanese to Koji. The woman said something back and Leila smiled, "She's pleased to meet you, she says she's impressed with the efficiency of the hospital."

"Thank you but...I'm aware it's not that great." Cuddy laughed a bit, "What was she a specialist in again?"

"Degenerative muscular disorders and genetics." Leila said, "In Japan there's a new treatment method that has a 90% success rate in regenerating muscle that has either deteriorated or had to be removed, much like House's injury. Doctor Koji has agreed to offer the treatment to House." Koji looked at Cuddy and started to talk, like she was talking directly to her but in a completely different language. She made eye contact and everything, which Cuddy knew was the polite thing to do, because she wanted Cuddy to feel like she was being talked to and things weren't going on behind her back. Should Koji just be standing there talking to Leila and motioning to Cuddy, she wouldn't have felt like she was at all a part of this. Cuddy appreciated it, she had done things with translators before, but no matter how many times she had, it always made her feel awkward because all she could do was smile and nod stupidly.

"She says that it's safe, and very little risk of side effects. She wants to assure you that even if the treatment doesn't work the first time there should be no massive damage to House's health, nor will his muscle deteriorate any further. There are three chances to try this method and once it does take recovery is rapid and virtually painless. It can be done while House is under chemical sedation and will probably be easier as the only painful part of the procedure are the injections and he may find those...uh...for lack of a better english word, unpleasant. Other than that she has already done her examination and she thinks he's an excellent candidate." Leila explained keeping up with Koji, finishing her explanation around the same time the Japanese Doctor stopped talking. Cuddy was still amazed that Leila was so fluent in Japanese. Didn't they have like a 3,000 character alphabet that looked nothing like English? She had never even heard Leila utilize this language in front of her, it was amazing that she was keeping up so well with it.

"She did her examination? Who let her in the-"

"I took her in there." Wilson said, finally speaking up, "She checked out his scans, read up on his history, and did a visual exam. Nothing odd if that's what you are worried about." He yawned softly, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. Cuddy didn't know when he intended to get back to work or even if he was thinking or resigning. She was too scared to even insinuate he needed to get back to work, because of the fact that she didn't need him to snap on her like she was the enemy again. His words had really stung her before and if she could avoid any of that happening again she gladly would.

"No, she seems professional enough but...doesn't House have to consent to this?" Cuddy asked, "Not that I don't think he would but I can't give permission on this right?"

"You could always act for him, or just go through with it. None of us in here are going to report you for anything. Koji is going to be here for a few days anyway, she planned to stay a week at least to monitor House as he goes through it, and I will extend the stay until she can leave, if you want to take time to become his proxy or wait for them to wake him, or even just wake him long enough to get his consent, there isn't much of a hurry. We just think it might be better if he wakes up with virtually no pain, assuming that the treatment takes. There's a good chance that it will though." Leila assured her. Cuddy was kind of torn on this, and she wanted to know far more about what was going to be done than what she already did but she was assuming that anything she could be shown would be in Japanese. At least any notes that Koji had or brought with her.

"Well I'd like to see some studies on this, or at least know more about what's going to be done." Cuddy said. Leila said something in Japanese to Koji. She nodded and headed over to a bag she had brought that was sitting unassumingly in the corner. She got out a small tablet computer and turned it on, she held it out to Cuddy. "It's in Japanese." Cuddy said, looking at Leila like she was kind of a moron, though she had assumed this would be the case anyway so she didn't know why she was annoyed to this level.

"Come here, I'll explain it to you. She can answer any questions you have that I can't answer by reading the reports." Leila said, sitting up a bit more. Cuddy nodded and headed over to her bedside. She handed the tablet computer over to Leila and she scanned it quickly. Everything looked like complete jibberish to Cuddy but she trusted Leila to be able to read it at that point. Besides Koji was a doctor and Leila was too, she'd know what everything meant, it was just in a different language. "Besides, most of this is before and after pictures so you can see the results they are getting." Leila said and started to scroll from page to page, showing Cuddy the scans and the actual pictures of the tissue and muscle re-growth. Cuddy was quite astonished by the amazing results, it was something House had looked for his entire life, why hadn't he ever found this?

"This is amazing but...what is she injecting him with?" Cuddy asked, "And why did House never know about this? He's been to the ends of the earth looking for a treatment like this." Leila looked at Koji and they started to talk back and fourth in Japanese again, then the two of them laughed about something, though Cuddy assumed it had to do with the two of them being friends and nothing to do with her.

"Sorry, that wasn't about you, I was trying to ask her about a better word to translate the explanation into. The injections are a...well a few years ago in Norway I believe, I could be getting my location wrong, there was a cancer treatment developed where the patients own blood cells could be modified to attack just the tumors in the body. They called them, suicide genes. So basically they would be multiplied and injected back into the tumor and in a matter of weeks the thing would be eaten away. It is safer than chemo it's really damn expensive and risky, it's rare to get insurance to cover it, most of it's out of pocket treatments. Using the same idea behind that, they just kind of reversed it to coax the body into re-growing muscle, kind of like how they can now graft and ear to the back of a mouse. Or a nose, some cases a penis. So it's kind of like...cutting out the mouse middle man here. She'll inject him with things to kind of trick his body into regenerating the muscle just in that area." Leila said, "I guess the reason he hadn't heard about it, is well...look..." Leila pointed to something that meant absolutely nothing to Cuddy because she couldn't understand it.

"Look at what?" She asked.

"Sorry...the clinical trials for this in Japan just recently closed and they are only now starting to offer it to the public. New of it hasn't hit the US yet, she's been working on this for years, she owns the company they just haven't released the information yet. I was going to offer to get him into the trials but when Koji told me they were closed and the treatment had been approved it didn't matter any more." Leila said. Cuddy nodded, that made sense, it it had only been in closed trial stages and if House didn't know the right people he wouldn't have found it. Plus as far as she knew the only thing he could say in Japanese was something that would aid him in getting laid or food. He knew how to order a hooker in just about every language it seemed.

"It's approved here too?"

"As long as he consents." Leila said. "See look at the dates." She motioned to numbers that Cuddy could read, "That symbol means day, that one month, that one year, see how recently the trials were closed and things were opened for general use? This seems to have happened at just the right time actually. He's your fianc√© and he's out as of now, it's up to you to decide how we proceed with this." Leila looked at her. Of course the first person she looked to was Wilson, she wondered what he would say about all of this.

"The way Leila explained it to me, it seems like it's something that House would want. We just need his consent. I doubt he would get pissed at you for ever trying this when we all know if you woke him up his answer would be 'hell yes go for it' but he's also a wild card so who knows." Wilson shrugged. "If I were you I'd just start the treatment."

"So if it doesn't take there's no risk of things getting worse right? Like he won't risk amputation or-"

"He's risking amputation at this very moment, Cuddy. What exactly do we have to lose on this?" Leila asked her. "At this point we are buying time until they chop it off you know that as much as you want to deny it. Give the guy a chance at a far more normal life than he would have if they take it entirely. " Leila said. Cuddy was unsure about all of this but she knew if it did work, and there seemed to be one hell of a huge chance that it would, House would be so much better off doing it. Everyone was on board here, even Wilson, and he could be a worrier. Clearly something had convinced him as well, he had been there much longer to talk with Leila and Koji than she had and she was thinking it was the best hand she had to play with right now, there were no 'do overs' at this point. This was what she would have to go with.

"Yeah then...do it just...go do it." She said softly.

"You are doing the right thing, Lisa. He's going to be very grateful for it." Wilson said to her seriously. Cuddy nodded slightly, she so desperately wanted to believe that it was the truth but she couldn't fight the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

The next thing House was aware of was that someone was slapping his face, and rather violently at that. His eyes shot open and he saw Leila standing over him. She was looking down into his eyes and there was a bit of blood spatter on her face. This scared him, especially since the last memories he had were of that dream where she had taken that giant butcher knife and cut clean through his leg. Though waking up now seemed far more normal, but the next thing he became aware of was the searing pain in his leg. He cried out and grabbed for it immediately, it was still there, thank God but it hurt like hell. The pain was immense. He thought he saw Wilson in the room but then again it could have just been a blur in the shape of a man, he didn't have time to check, mostly because Leila had just been bitch slapping him. It didn't occur to him to ask why she was standing or even how, the pain was controlling everything at that point.

"House...we need to fix your leg." She said, "You need to say yes or no." She told him.

"Yes just...of course you bitch...fix it! Why are you even asking?" He demanded. This was stupid, of course he wasn't going to say no to his leg being fixed. Did she seriously just wake him up to ask him about that? If he wasn't in so much damn pain at that point he would have started to strangle her. He heard a higher pitched voice chatter in the background, in a language he didn't come close to understanding, he couldn't even narrow it down had he been asked to, well more than something asian and choppy sounding.

"Because it's kind of illegal and the people who are aware of this could be in a lot of trouble if we are caught, including you...so...do you want it or not?" She asked him, "Hurry up, we have to put you back under in a moment...HEY!" She yelled and slapped him again.

"OW! FUCK! I'M PAYING ATTENTION! Damn! Yes just...I don't care what the fuck you do to fix it as long as fixing it...doesn't include...amputation!" He yelled having to take breaths in between words at the end of that because of the pain and the energy that was rapidly draining out of him due to that factor. He watched Leila turn and say something in that same asian sounding language though he couldn't see who the hell she was talking to, this had to be a dream. That must have just sounded like Chinese, it was probably just jibberish. Leila didn't know Chinese right? He thought he heard Wilson's voice then, just not what he was saying. It was like it was beyond his comprehension and to make things worse it sounded like it was coming from underwater or behind a thick wall. He couldn't even hear the tone of it, and though it sounded a hell of a lot like him it might just be someone else. Hell, if someone asked him where he was exactly right now or even the date he couldn't have answered.

"He'll be fine." Leila said to the unidentified male voice that had just spoke. She turned her head back to look at him and smiled sweetly, "When you wake up this will all be over...don't worry. I'm putting you back under now. Things are just fine." She stroked his cheek gently and leaned over to kiss his forehead. The last thing he felt were her thick, warm lips on his skin before he was out again.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter I have. It is yet unknown if this will get a proper ending or not.

House was brought out of his coma a day ahead of schedule. The few tests they could do on his leg were showing that the muscle was almost completely back. He still had the scar from the previous surgeries but the indentation where the muscle had been removed was completely gone, his leg was flat and healthy and House was surprised to wake with no pain. None, not even the usual mild pain that the narcotics helped him deal with. He groaned a bit when he saw Cuddy standing there with Wilson. God she looked beautiful, it caused him to smile.

"Hey..." He said slowly and reached down to make sure his leg was still there, he was in so little pain he just assumed they had amputated it and the pain of that was less than what he was used to, but the thing was there. His eyes got wide when he felt how there it actually was. It was different it felt...undamaged. He looked at Cuddy, "What...what happened?"

"Well, Leila brought in a specialist from Japan who had developed this new treatment to regenerate missing tissue and muscle and I approved it to be done on you. They explained it to me, there was virtually no risk of complications. Besides it worked and-" before she could finish because for some reason she guessed she just assumed he'd be pissed off that she approved something without asking him first, even though it had to do with fixing his leg, he pulled her into a passionate kiss. All he knew was that the thorn in his side, that had been there for so long, was completely gone. He didn't care if Satan himself came in there and made it better, he was finally back to normal...well physically.

"Okay well I don't think he's angry." Wilson laughed a bit, "But you'll need the cane for just a bit longer because that's new muscle, it'll be weak." Wilson told him. House pulled away from the kiss, leaving a breathless and speechless Cuddy just staring kind of blankly at him. That had probably been the most passionate kiss she'd ever gotten from him, or anyone for that matter.

"Well I think I need to thank Leila, right?" He asked.

"Not if you mean by kissing her like that." Cuddy laughed and then hugged him tightly, "But you know, flowers are always nice." He smiled and stroked her hair gently. He couldn't have been more happy about how he'd woken up. Though his last memories were of that odd dream where Leila was speaking Chinese and repeatedly slapping him trying to get him to agree to treatment for his leg, he easily discounted them as a dream. It was even possible that a discussion had happened in the room and his brain had translated it into that scenario. He didn't know, nor did he care, he was better now and would be better for it. Or so he thought.

Diethyl-lysergic-tryptamine, that was the one thing Leila couldn't pin point out of the entire list of ingredients in the medication that had been given to House. It seriously bothered her that Koji wouldn't explain to her WHY it was illegal in the states to give to someone, just that it was. Koji wouldn't say anything more about it, and Leila didn't know if it was to protect her own ass or because it was so bad Leila wouldn't have even suggested it in the first place had she known. Of course she knew what tryptamine was, but what were the two other things, and why were they in combination with that? Tryptamine could have been used for a lot of things.

Had she not been up for the past 12 hours trying to figure this out while Wilson kept Cuddy at bay at the hospital, because he also knew she was worried and this procedure was illegal, she might have connected the fact that the lysergic part in combination with the Diethyl part meant that what House was given, as part of a long list of chemicals, was an insanely powerful hallucinogen.

It didn't even seem like it was such a big deal, there was only a small dose listed in each part of the seven injections he was given but she also had never heard of it, meaning that weather it was 2ccs or 100 she still would have no clue how it reacted in the human body. It was exactly what Koji hadn't wanted her to know. The woman was a few hours away from boarding a plane and leaving, it would take her out of jurisdiction for arrest. Leila noted how uneasy the woman was, and she was uneasy herself. Knowing that none of this was legal here was putting her, Wilson, and even House at risk because he had verbally consented. However she would argue that he had consented under duress if she had to. She wasn't going to let him go to jail for something that he ultimately needed to get him better.

She really didn't like that she was basically bed ridden, the fact that the narcotics she was on weren't helping her think, and that she had been up for way too long. She wanted to know what this drug compound was, what it meant, and why it was used. The tryptamine did make sense, but not in combination with the rest of it and it was frustrating her that she couldn't figure out what the hell it was. She forced herself to put the iPad down a moment later. For one, it was too dim in that room and the glow of the thing was making her get a bad case of eyestrain. Her reading glasses weren't even close to being near by and the thought of getting on the crutches to retrieve them was just irritating at that point. She rubbed her eyes and laid down. The next time she would be getting on those damn things would be to use the bathroom, she hated trying to maneuver with the giant cast. It was painful and hard. Unfortunately she was only about to get 2 good hours of sleep before all hell started to break loose.

Once House was up on his feet, he was given his cane to use again. He almost winced at the idea that he had to take it even though his leg looked and felt perfectly fine, but since he was assured it was only until he got strength back he guessed he could put up with it for a few weeks while he went through the physical therapy to become better. Cuddy was by his side, helping him take a slow walk through the hospital. Things seemed so incredibly wonderful at that point. He was walking and there was no pain, there was no wishing he was dead, and there was absolutely no craving for vicodin or narcotics.

Then it happened, something really odd. He started to hear a sound, a lot like rushing water. Almost as if he was lying on the beach and the tide was coming in and he had been dumb enough to put his head right in the surf. Then things started to go dim. There was an explosion of light, and he was floating in what kind of seemed like outer space though at the same time it was like he was on the outside of his body looking in. Something was wrong. He was literally watching himself walking with Cuddy down the halls of PPTH. He was talking to her normally as well. Though he had this feeling that something was wrong, it wasn't scary. It was just a simple thought akin to "oh it's raining" nothing panic inducing.

"Pretty cool huh?" He heard an unfamiliar voice ask from behind him, well kind of unfamiliar. It was the same tone as that he heard when Leila was yelling at someone in Chinese, or a similar language. Was the dream starting over again? And why? How could that be possible as he was just walking down the hall. He turned and looked to see who was speaking. It was a tiny asian woman. She was beautiful.

"Uh...kind of...but it's not right..." He said, his voice kind of coming from everywhere and nowhere at once.

"Well you wanted your leg back, we told you the procedure was illegal." She said, "Sometimes things just are the way they are." House looked down at his legs. He was on solid ground again but he was still watching himself walk down the hall with Cuddy.

"Okay yeah but I was also getting slapped in the face while she tried to convince me to do it." He said, "Also, what you are telling me now, you are a product of my own brain, not some guardian force...how do I have this information?" He asked,

"How do you know I'm not a guardian force?" She asked.

"Because that's stupid. And I'm pretty sure God isn't a sexy, Chinese woman." House rolled his eyes.

"Japanese. The language was Japanese." She told him gently, "Look, if this is all a product of your own mind like you insist, take control of it. Make me go away." She said and went over to one of the desks were a nurse was working on a computer. He didn't even acknowledge her even though she was leaning over the desk and he would have had a clear view down the low cut shirt she was wearing.

"Yeah well he's gay." House said.

"What?"

"Sorry, just something I thought I was saying out loud I guess." House approached her, "Is this permanent?"

"Don't know, don't have that information." She replied.

"But you're God."

"Am I?"

"Look lady, I don't want to be trapped in this stupid universe forever with someone who looks very close to an asian hooker that I can't touch." He snapped at her.

"Only you would be a bummer in a universe you could control entirely." She laughed, "But I think it's time we say goodbye."

"What?"

"You heard me...I'll see you on the other side." She offered him that coy and almost evil smile again, but before he could retort the rushing water sound started again. He winced, brought his hands up to cover his ears and closed his eyes tightly. It was just too loud and even if he was saying something or she was there was no way in hell he would have heard it above that noise.

When his eyes opened he was on the floor, it was cold, hard, and not at all as inviting as wherever he had just been. Cuddy was shaking him, Wilson was there as well, yelling for help. What the hell had just happened? Where he had just been, it had felt like a long time but apparently he had just collapsed, or maybe not. That hospital didn't really have it's shit together, he could have been lying on the floor for as long as that hallucination took.

He groaned, trying to alert Cuddy that he was there again, but he found it almost impossible to form words. His mouth felt like the driest desert ever. He wanted water, he probably would he strangled Cuddy just for a sip of it if he had the energy. His brain felt like mush as well, a coherent thought wasn't coming to him, at least not in whole pieces. Cuddy's face started to glow, she was beginning to look like an angle. When he felt her hand touch his face, her skin was as smooth as silk against his rough stubble. He smiled at her crookedly as a feeling of intense euphoria washed over him. Better than any damn narcotic he had ever had. He felt safe, and he some how knew he would be taken care of.

"Did he just say God is a Japanese woman?" Wilson asked, looking down at him. What House was experiencing in his own mind was far from what was actually happening, because he was talking he just wasn't making a damn ounce of sense. Cuddy sighed and looked at him.

"Well a moment before that he said kittens are the root of all evil." She was trying to take House's pulse. Amazingly it was normal, his pupils were fine as well. There was something going on in his brain but it wasn't putting him in danger, "What the hell is going on? And where the hell is the help?" She snapped. Though no sooner than that did two medics appear with a stretcher. Cuddy thought it might be a bit of an ordeal trying to get him on it but, incredibly, he was able to get to his feet with just her help and with Wilson's they got him on the stretcher.

"Well I've seen him drop acid before...he's kind of acting like that." Wilson said, "But when did he have time to drop acid? He hasn't been out of our sight...and then there's the question of why would he?"

"I don't like cheese." House grabbed Cuddy's arm and told her like it was some great secret.

"Of course you don't." Cuddy humored him gently and patted the hand he had put on her as they started to walk towards the nearest empty room where he could be treated. She didn't have a clue as to what was going on with him, but she did know who would. She was 100% sure this had to do with that treatment that she couldn't even read the overview of because it was in Japanese. She looked at Wilson, he looked as concerned as he should, but maybe a bit more. She was starting to think he knew something he wasn't telling.

Though Wilson did know that it was far more dangerous than Cuddy had been told, he also didn't know why. Leila hadn't even known why but she made that clear to Wilson before they even started it. She said Koji refused to tell her. The studies did show results and none of that was a lie. Muscles were being regenerated, but the list of ingredients and side effects were pages and pages long and Leila was well aware she didn't have time to read through all that shit before it would be too late to start with the injections. Koji had said that though it was dangerous, anything that happened to him as a result of the treatment would be temporary, yet she had never said how temporary or how bad the effects were. Technically if Cuddy asked Wilson if he knew more than he was telling he could say 'no' because he was very in the dark about this. Unless she asked him specifically if he knew the treatment was dangerous before starting he could lie to her without it being a lie.

As he was thinking all of this, Cuddy was watching his face, she knew he was trying to figure something out. He was far more obvious about that than House. Wilson was going over things in his head, he did know something, she just didn't know what and it was pissing her off. If he knew that this was a bad idea before it even started, and still went ahead and advocated the treatment she was going to be pissed at him.

"I'm just going to start flushing his system with saline, hopefully that will make him lucid enough to tell me what just happened." Cuddy said. He still had the IV port in his arm so it was easy enough to hook him up to a line. "And you better start talking to me, and I mean right now Wilson." Cuddy said.

"Talk about what? I know as much about what's happening to him as you!" Wilson yelled, but he was too upset, he was too defensive. She gave him a look, this must be bad if he was so insistent on hiding it from her. "I need to call Leila." He said and rushed out of the room before she could get a word in edgewise.

"Fuck..." She muttered and started to squeeze a bit of the saline into House so it would work faster. House let out a bit of a psychotic and very disconnected laugh.

"What if we don't watch TV...but it watches us?" he whispered to her softly. She rolled her eyes and started to hook him back up to the monitors. He had been stable enough to get him back to his own room, he hadn't made it far from there before collapsing and she wanted to make sure that his vitals didn't go south. Everything was stable, calm even, his heart rate and BP were completely normal. The only thing wrong with him was his brain and she wanted to know why. Leila better get her ass in there and start explaining. Or Wilson better start talking for her.

"Leila, something is wrong with House." Wilson said the moment she picked up the phone after seeing it was him calling. It had taken her a moment to answer because she had been asleep but her worst fears were coming true. She grabbed her iPad again to check out that compound that she hadn't been able to identify before and looked at it. She started to skim over it quickly, now that she was rested maybe something would make more sense to her. Unlike House who seemed to thrive on being worn out before he could get an answer, she functioned like a human and needed time to cool her brain down.

"Diethyl-lysergic-tryptamine." She said, "I think that's what did it to him but I don't know what that is I just know that-" She paused a moment. Was that compound a mixture of LSD and DMT? Holy shit, what had Koji given him? How long would it be in his system. She hadn't realized she had stopped talking as she started to pull up the compound for DMT on her iPad.

"Leila? LEILA KEEP TALKING!" Wilson yelled.

"Diethyl-lysergic-tryptamine," She repeated, "Fuck, it's some odd combination of LSD and DMT two very powerful hallucinogens. Fuck...why would that even NEED to be in there?" She asked him.

"Well Koji is your friend so you better ask her before she flies the hell out of this country." Wilson said. She could hear he was pacing from the way he was breathing, though she really hoped he was somewhere that Cuddy wasn't hearing this conversation, even his end of it.

"Why? What happened?" Leila asked, "And I really can't do much with the condition that I'm in you know. The best I can do is call her, and the best she can do is turn off her phone and pretend like I'm not calling her."

"We helped him get up to take a brief walk, test out his leg. About two minutes later he was on the ground talking about evil kittens and God being Japanese." Wilson told her, "This was a bad idea! You told me he'd be okay!"

"He's going to be okay, she indicated that though there may be some BAD side effects they were always only temporary and the results were well worth it." Leila said, "The scans and the data do not lie, it would be hard for her to fake those pictures, but I see now why it's very fucking illegal to do here."

"Leila, we have to tell Cuddy."

"What exactly do we HAVE to tell her?" Leila asked, "And how much? We'll both get fired if..."

"Hey I'm not the one who-"

"I'll take the blame for it all of it...see I can do that. I don't NEED the job, not that I want to lose it but this is more my fault than anyones because I pushed so hard for it." She sighed, "The problem with that is you don't know how to keep your damn mouth shut about how much you know when you feel guilty. Do not incriminate yourself Wilson. Come and get me, bring me to the hospital and I'll talk to her. For God's sake don't let her corner you as you leave and if she does you get me on the phone." Leila snapped.

"This could be the-"

"No it's not the worst thing ever, it's not like House has never tripped balls before, and if he's monitored all of this should pass, we just have to figure out how it's working, how much he was given, and what triggers the events. Shouldn't be too hard right?" Leila asked him.

"Easy for you to say...and Cuddy already figured out I'm not saying everything I know. I'll be there as fast as I can." Wilson said, and then the line went dead. Leila growled softly but dialed Koji's number the second Wilson was off the phone. She could only hope to get some answers from the woman before she decided never to take another phone call from her.

"WILSON!" Cuddy yelled just as he was about to step out of front door. He had thought he would make it, that she wouldn't come looking for him because she'd be so concerned with getting House lucid that he'd have time to make an escape. He was completely wrong about that and she had been loud enough that to keep going would be completely obvious that he was trying to avoid her, which would just make him look guilty when he was trying to avoid that. He turned slowly and looked at her, noting that the first snowfall of the season was occurring.

"Uh what is it, Lisa?" He asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible which really only made him sound more guilty. Cuddy stormed over to him and looked right into his eyes. Of course she had to look up slightly, but he suddenly felt like she was towering over him and he was only two feet tall.

"You need to start telling me what you know, right now." She demanded.

"I don't know anything! How am I supposed to know what goes on in that head of his!" Wilson went on the defensive right away. He had to think of something to deflect this. Even if she "knew" that he was lying unless her confirmed it some how it was all just conjecture and couldn't be talked about in a trial and he was worried about that because he was so sure someone was about to get sued over this.

"Wilson, you of all people are REALLY bad at lying, especially when you feel guilty about something. Just tell me, it may help him." Cuddy said, trying to keep her voice calm.

"He's not in any danger, I mean you saw his vitals. I'm sure it'll pass. Remember he was on a lot of narcotics for a few days, before that almost an overdose, plus the stress of his leg and then what happened to Leila...maybe it was just a psychotic break. She should evaluate him." He said quickly and then stepped outside. Cuddy wasn't close to being dressed to going out into the weather like it was now so he could only hope him going out there would either cause her not to follow, or only keep her out there for a short period of time because she'd freeze.

"He's lucid now." Cuddy called from the door, "He told me something about remembering Leila slapping him and demanding his consent. He says he thinks you were there but he's not sure." Cuddy called. This caused Wilson to stop dead in his tracks. She purposefully left out the fact that House had said it was a dream to see what kind of reaction Wilson would have to it. It was really her last hope to get him to start talking. It very well could have been a dream but with the way Wilson just froze like he was part of the snow coming down showed her that what House thought was a dream may have actually happened. Wilson slowly turned to look at her.

How did she know that? How did House know that? How did he even remember? He had been so damn out of it, Wilson wasn't even standing in a place House could have seen him, he had been behind Leila and the way she was propped up in order to get his attention. House couldn't have known anything about this. How did he retain any of that experience. He opened his mouth to start confessing when his phone rang. Oh thank God, saved by the bell. He got it out of his pocket.

"I have to take it, it's Leila, she probably has more information than I ever could. I'm going to pick her up now, she wants to see him and talk to you." He said and put the phone to his ear before hurrying away from Cuddy.

She clenched her jaw and glared at him. Why were they keeping this from her? Was it that bad? Was House going to lose his leg? Die? Either it was something very terrible or it was something that was such a mystery to all of them that they didn't even want to tell her what they already did know so she could freak out more. All she could really do at that point was wait for Leila to be brought back into the hospital by Wilson and pray that what they were saying was true. That all of this would only be temporary.

  



End file.
